The quarter may be over but the stress persists. Many teachers assign projects and tests to be due on the last day, which may cause students to be bombarded with homework. Staying up late to work on projects results in a lack of sleep, which can negatively affect test scores. It is a downward spiral of failure. In order to avoid the stress, here are some tips to avoid the cramming.

I personally was bombarded with tests, essays and deadlines at the end of first quarter. The stress, lack of sleep and last minute cramming created a whole week of negativity which ended in total exhaustion. I know many other students who have even tougher schedules than I have, and I can’t imagine the pressure they were under to finish all of their work. The PSAT approaching in the following week did not help either because the looming stress of a standardized test never helps alleviate pressure.

The end of the quarter doesn’t have to be stressful, but I think that there needs to be some changes. For a start, students can make the end of the quarter easier for themselves by sticking to a schedule and avoiding procrastination (which I will admit, I procrastinate quite a lot). Teachers also need an assignment schedule because there is no reason to have a test in every class on the very last day. That also means rushed grading over the weekend to try and get the grades into Skyward before the deadline. A little simple planning could go a long way.