With end-of-the-semester projects due and finals just around the corner, some students’ anxieties have increased while other students are as cool as a windy day in DeKalb.

Allen Owens, Counseling and Student Development Center psychologist, said, “It’s obvious some students are wondering how to get projects done.”

Some are worried about whether they will finish that final paper of the semester, and others are trying to have deadlines extended, he said.

NIU Junior Earnest Robinson said he still has a lot to do but not as much as in previous years. “I learned (study skills) from previous years, but I didn’t apply it,” he said.

Owens said, however, some students have completed their last projects and are not experiencing end-of-the-semester anxiety.

Many students have completed their work, and now finals are a chance for them to show their knowledge, Owens said. “These students are less likely to be panicky around the end of the year.”

Business students can have a “do or die” attitude about finals, because if they do not have a 3.0 grade point average at the end of the semester, they will not be accepted into the business school, he said.

Students procrastinating on their studies for finals hinder their chances of performing well on a test, Owens said.

Students should view finals as a review of the semester, not as a first look at the material, Owens said.

“Students will benefit from finding their own study style for finals,” Owens said. Some study by themselves, some study in the library and others study in a group, he said.

Robinson said he likes exercising, such as weight lifting, to decrease his anxiety.

Owens said, “Students should not drastically change their lifestyle.” He said students should eat right, exercise and get enough sleep.

The time students allow for studying is important, Owens said. A time schedule and common sense will help students allocate their time, he said.

Owens said students should avoid others who inflict their sense of despair. He said this will increase a student’s chances of avoiding anxiety.

He said a single answer to avoid anxiety does not exist. Rather, students have their own methods of coping with stress, he said.

NIU freshman Heidi Conibear said, “I don’t have any anxiety.” She said she is caught up with her work because she budgeted her time and did not let classes get her down.

Conibear said she pledged a sorority which taught her to budget her time between studying and other activities. She said budgeting her time helped her because she did not have much free time.