Finals are approaching, which means most students on campus are entering the most stressful period of the academic year.

For many, this means mountains of pressure — long study nights, endless revision and the constant thought of possible failure. Finals almost feel like a “make it or break it.” Even though assessments throughout the semester all contribute to the overall grade, the final exam tends to hold more weight than anything else.

Additionally, some final exams are cumulative, which means that students need to review everything they have learned since the beginning of the term. The sheer volume of the content, along with the minimal time for revision without lessons, can lead to students sacrificing sleep, social interactions and even their physical and mental well-being just to pass an exam.

According to a study of university students from Toronto, 40 per cent of students experience stress and eight per cent experience extreme stress, while zero per cent of students say that they feel no stress concerning exams. Research also shows that student stress tends to peak during finals. In my experience, the heavy workload is the most stressful part of the final exam period.

I always feel so overwhelmed by all the notes I need to read and all the things I must remember from lecture one. I feel a compulsive urge to go over every piece of information with the potential of showing up in the final exam thoroughly. One of my biggest fears is knowing enough about a topic to recognize it in the exam but not enough to correctly answer a question.

Other factors that cause students stress are the fear of failure, self-imposed high expectations, negative self-talk and the belief that grades are an indication of self-worth. The pressure that comes from these exams, the intense pressure during finals week raises serious concerns about whether these assessments are sustainable.

The primary purpose of finals is to measure a student’s understanding of the course material. But when faced with the intense pressure of final exams, students often resort to cramming — memorizing facts and formulas rather than truly grasping the underlying concepts. This short-term focus can hinder their ability to retain knowledge after the exam, making it difficult to apply what they’ve learned in the future.

When we consider that finals are typically high-stakes exams, it is easy to see why students may neglect wanting to truly understand the lecture material and simply focus on getting the grade. According to my observations, exams can limit academic growth and undermine the long-term value of education. Final exams to me, at times, seem to send the message that it doesn’t really matter how well you understand the information or even how much interest you have in the lecture material — it matters how well you can take the test.

This, in a way, diminishes the value of final exam grades, as it is not always a reflection of a student’s interaction with material but rather how suited they are to take the actual exam. It also creates a problem for students who are poor exam takers.

The stressful conditions surrounding exams may have a negative impact on performance. High levels of anxiety during tests can impair cognitive function and make it harder for students to remember information they may have studied or think critically when solving exam problems. So, even if a student does comprehend their notes, they still may not perform well in the exam. Similarly, even if a student does not really understand what is happening in lectures, they can still score well in exams.

Every university assessment should be aimed at strengthening a student’s grasp of information. I do not think testing knowledge is the primary goal of the education system. I think it is to help students internalize and apply information outside of the classroom environment. When assessments are designed to reinforce understanding, they promote deeper learning, which is crucial for long-term retention and application.

University is not about passing a final but about gaining valuable knowledge and learning how to use it to make an impact in your chosen field.