MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — It’s finals week for the fall semester on the WVU campus.
Dean of Students Dr. Corey Farris said the exams will take place Monday through Friday with WVU’s fall commencement set for Saturday.
Farris said they try to help students be as prepared as possible for their finals.
“We cheer them on in lots of different ways,” Farris said. “Whether it’s giving them quiet study space, food in their belly or providing a little extra counseling if they’ve got some test anxiety as well as tutoring and study hall workshops.”
This year students will hear a new warning.
The new Mountaineer Fentanyl Education Task Force, co-chaired by U.S. Attorney Bill Ihlenfeld and WVU student Azeem Khan has been cautioning students about the proliferation of the drug. Task force members warn students that any drug purchased on the street for the purpose of studying longer or better test performance could be deadly.
“One pill can kill, so we hope steer them not toward medication, but to mental health, to tutors, to their professors on how to prepare for exams but not the artificial substances that may truly may harm them,” Farris said.
Final exams and major semester-end papers can be the most difficult parts of the academic year. Experts recommend studying in groups in a comfortable atmosphere with few distractions. Also, switching topics to prevent learning fatigue and revisiting difficult concepts can help students retain more knowledge.
“Every hour or so a student should take a break and give their mind a rest and let their mind process,” Farris said. “We give them a number of different tips throughout the week or they can come in and see our counselors if they’re extra stressed.”
Two separate fall commencement ceremonies are scheduled for Saturday at the WVU Coliseum. Farris said most students will have left Morgantown by then.
“Fall semester students will slowly trickle out of town, so probably later in the week around the residence halls is where we get a little bit of traffic but it shouldn’t be too bad,” Farris said.