Oct. 29, 2024

Happy Halloween and welcome to Week 10 of our journey together!

In honor of Halloween, let’s talk about something scary. Let’s talk about final exams. These don’t need to be scary, but for many, they lurk in the future like some dark threat beyond a covered bridge.

Here’s how we shine some big bright lights on the other side of that bridge; we take the time to prepare. There are four (only four!) full weeks of classes left after this one until the end of our term. That is right! Amazing. There are three more weeks before the short week with fall break. After that, there is only one more week of classes and then – finals week. This is the time you have to work with and time is your most important resource.

How can you make the most of the time to best prepare yourself for the coming challenge? One potential strategy is to break the remainder of the semester down into equal pieces. Do you want to count this week and fall break? That gives you six pieces. This week is already booked? Let’s call it five. In each of the five weeks ahead, study, review, and revisit the material from three prior weeks of class. In the course of the next five weeks, you’ll have re-mastered the past fifteen. By breaking it down into smaller pieces, and making the most of the time you have, you will be ready to own those exams like the pro that you are.

Whether you implement this plan, one of your own device, or find more ideas online, the key is to put the time in starting sooner rather than later. There is no shortcut to a fear-free finale for this 16-week series called the fall 2024 semester. Put the time in. Be the hero.

If you are worried and don’t know how to start, reach out to the Student Success Center. The academic coaches and tutors there can help with the challenges ahead. They can help you prepare for a fear-free end of this journey.

Get some help. Put in the time. Prepare for your victory lap.

Things to do:

Attend the costume contest at the UAF Women’s Volleyball game vs. Montana State Billings at the Patty Center on Halloween, Oct. 31, at 7 p.m.

Have a great 10th week of classes, have a fantastic Halloween, and stay safe out there!

Please share your thoughts with me on what we could be doing better: obguthrie@alaska.edu.

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