Marissa Verdon, Staff Writer

It’s the final countdown. Classes are wrapping up and finals week is upon us. It’s safe to say that students are a little stressed out, hoping to end the semester strong.

“I think my hardest final will be my CMM 181, Digital Toolkit, final video project,” sophomore Daniela Hannah said. “It will take time to edit and get the shots, I want to get the best final project in the class.”

Junior Ethan Kipp’s hardest final will be a 10-page paper he has to complete for his theatre history class.

“I love the subject matter and it will be fun, but long form research papers require a lot of focus and work,” Kipp said. “With so many other papers to juggle it can be hard giving everyone the focus it needs.”

Students like junior David Cooney and senior Calico Yaworski are nervous about their finals.

“My hardest final is History 455, Guided Historical Research, as it effectively sets my course for my senior thesis for next year,” Cooney said. “It will be my first major article in the historical field and can set me up for my career outside of Utica College.”

While some view finals week as the next step in their career, some can’t help but worry.

“My toughest final project will be my media kit for my Public Relations class,” Yaworski said. “This is something that I will have to do in the real world once I graduate, so I want to make sure they’re as perfected as possible.”

Some students are getting creative and finding different ways to prepare for their finals. Most students look over past assignments and notes a few more times to be safe rather than sorry.

“I’m triple checking my writing and what sources I should use as it is restricted to 10 pages,” Cooney said

Kipp is reading up on the topic of his paper and outlining what he wants to write.

“Outlining lets me search for sources in a much more pointed and articulated matter. It keeps me from overloading aspects of the paper while ignoring others,” Kipp said.

While Cooney makes sure no details are missing from his paper, Hannah is trying to find ways to better her video.

“I am making sure I am filming and getting all the video done the week before the final is due so then if I need to change/film something on the spot right quick,” Hannah said. “I will have extra time to make sure all the videos will look good.”

Hannah avoids the end of semester blues by avoiding procrastination.

“My advice is to plan ahead,” Hannah said. “Don’t procrastinate because then you’ll end up pulling an all nighter and have a B- product instead of an A+.”

Other students said it’s important keep all your prior work nearby.

“For any future students, I would say to definitely remember to keep a file of all of your work during the semester,” Yaworski said. ”You will definitely need it for your final project.”

“I would recommend doing the readings and staying on task, you are often told about final papers during early semester,” Kipp said. “If you find a topic you enjoy get to work as soon as you can and pay close attention to related topics.”