Dec. 5, 2023

Last week of classes!! Woohoo!! Way to go! You have got this!

You are down to just a handful of days left in the semester and the finish line is just up ahead. Now is the time to give it all you’ve got. Get up in the stirrups and let the (mental) horses run for home!

You made it through 15 weeks of classes. Amazing. You have read chapters and chapters, completed papers and projects, knocked out quizzes and exams, and stretched your brain to its limits. It is all about to pay off with one final hurdle – you have got this.

Sunday night I was up in the Murie Building and the place was full of students studying for the coming exams. I saw the same in the Wood Center on Monday. Students were hustling here and there, hitting the books and putting in the time. I am so impressed with the commitment I saw – I know you are juggling so much and I am so proud of you. You have family issues and job issues and you are doing so great. This is about you. Stay focused, hang in there, and get it done.

Let’s talk about assessments for a moment. Final exams are designed to assess what you have learned in your courses. Broadly speaking, there are two types of assessments, formative and summative. In fact, there is a whole science behind learning and assessment – it is fascinating stuff. Formative assessments have things like feedback and opportunities for improvement that help you to develop and ‘form’ your ongoing understanding. Summative assessments are designed to test the sum of your understanding. They are usually at the end of a unit or a course. This is important because, by design, there isn’t usually an opportunity to go back and revisit and deepen your understanding for additional or future assessment. A summative assessment is the end of the road. We call them ‘finals’ for a reason. They are the Superbowl, the World Series, and the World Cup of the assessment world.

The stakes are often higher with summative assessments, and they are often more stressful than formative assessments – but they don’t have to be. Or, at least, that doesn’t mean you need to succumb to the negative effects of unhelpful stress. If I gave you a copy of next week’s finals today, your stress would diminish considerably. Here’s a secret; in many cases, you already have the exact material that is going to be on that summative assessment. The trick is to sort through all of the information you’ve received over the past weeks (depending on whether your final exam is cumulative or not) and correctly anticipate what sorts of understandings you are going to be asked to demonstrate.

How do you anticipate that? Go to those study sessions, read the study guides, go over your notes and texts for key concepts, and compare your predictions for what is going to be on the exam with a friend or your study group. Then, put the time in. There is no shortcut. The pros put the time in. They also know when to rest, and we have some great therapy dogs you can visit at the Rasmuson Library from 2-6 p.m. on Dec. 6 and 7 on the 4th Floor (main level) of the library.

Take care of yourself in the coming days. Try to avoid all-nighters. Eat right. Sleep right. You are a highly trained professional (learning) athlete. Feed your body and brain the fuel it needs. Watch out for sugar and caffeine bombs that will rob you of your energy down the road. Go for the nuts and fruits and proteins and fats! Stay the course and keep your pace!

Energize, strategize, prioritize. Stay focused and put in the time. You are doing awesome!

Things to do:

1. I have said it before, I will say it again. Meet with your advisor. Register for your spring classes. Get it done. Establish the bedrock for your spring semester success.

In closing, take a moment to breathe. You have come this far in the term, make sure to play your best game, and lay down your best performance in the closing days of the term. However, your academic achievements aren’t everything. Take care of yourself. Appreciate your friends and loved ones. Whatever lessons you’ve learned this semester, you’ll have ample opportunity to apply next semester. Do your best, but try to hold your stress about finals in a positive place. You will feel better each time you spend time investing in yourself and your preparations for the assessments yet to come.

As ever, if you have suggestions to send my way, please do so. I’m at: obguthrie@alaska.edu.

— Owen Guthrie, vice chancellor for student affairs and enrollment management