April is approaching and that means that finals season is near. It’s the dreaded month where students are preparing for their exams while simultaneously starting to stress about summer jobs.

These two very important things bring stress to a university student’s life during spring.

Preparing for finals is not easy — you need to lay out all of the information that your teacher covered over the last four months of the semester. Anxiety rises as students prepare to digest all that they’ve learned for their exams.

So what can we do to be better prepared for the finals season?

I try to write down the import­ant stuff on paper, or organize it in Microsoft Word, which I then print off later. If you find that the lecture slides have a lot of infor­mation, try to print off the slides or highlight the info you need. This will help you understand the concepts better.

It would be best if you give yourself some time to absorb all the information you are getting from the slides, so don’t do it the night before the exam.

Remember to cut yourself some slack during your study sessions. Pat yourself on the back and take a little break. Don’t burn yourself out. Your physical and mental health is far more import­ant and should be prioritized.

Exams aren’t the only thing we have to worry about. Finding a summer job can also be stressful for some of us, especially stu­dents who aren’t from Saskatoon.

Some students don’t know where they should work or how they are going to get a job. If you are from out of town or have nev­er had a summer job before, it makes finding work a lot harder.

When should one start apply­ing for jobs? Is March the right time or should you wait until it is almost April? Some jobs want employees to start as soon as possible, while others are will­ing to wait until you finish your studies.

Then, you have to ask your­self, do you really need or want to work? Would you rather get ahead and take a summer class? Do you need to work because of financial reasons? Getting a summer job gives you an income from May until August, but might also let you save up before another semester begins.

Maybe you don’t even know how to apply for a summer job, especially if you are leaving the province or have never worked in town before.

Take a look at jobs online or go to the Student Employment and Career Center for some pro­fessional help to point you in the right direction. It sucks that we need to worry about finding a summer job at the same time we need to study to pass our finals, but with a little planning we can figure it all out.

When it comes to the end of the term, know your capacity, plan ahead and weigh the pros and cons of having a summer job over taking a summer class. In the end, you need to do what’s best for you.

This op-ed was written by a University of Saskatchewan undergraduate student and reflects the views and opinions of the writer. If you would like to write a rebuttal, please email opinions@thesheaf.com.

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Shania Jamero

Graphic: Shawna Langer | Graphics Editor