Mental Health is More Important Than Final Exams

Finals week is quickly approaching, and students are beginning to feel the tension mounting on campus.

The once-empty tables in the library will fill up, coffee intake will rise and it will not be uncommon to find students in random public areas dozed off—succumbed to the exhaustion high-stakes testing can produce like no other. This week, I began to question why this strain is a normal, routine experience for students.

Our society romanticizes the exhausted, struggling college student. Movies and social media amplify this persona and project the image that extreme stress and mental breakdowns are part of a normal college experience and should be almost celebrated. After all, everyone has heard the phrase, “These are the best years of your life.”

But what if I don’t want to spend the best years of my life juggling all-night study sessions and a flourishing caffeine addiction? What if I want to use these years to invest in myself and become a healthy and independent adult capable of balancing my responsibilities with minimum stress?

A recent study conducted by the American Psychological Association concluded 35 percent of college students reported symptoms consistent with at least one mental health disorder, such as major depression, generalized anxiety disorder and panic disorder. Meanwhile, only 15 percent of students sought professional help for their mental health.

While these statistics highlight mental health disorders and stress affecting many college students, I find the lack of concern about how high-stakes exams exacerbate these issues disturbing. Society has blindly accepted the narrative, which normalizes this kind of dominating stress.

It is no secret students face enormous pressure and stressful changes during their college years. Most of our time is consumed by classes, homework, internships, extracurriculars and relationships, leaving mental health as an afterthought. However, if you are not prioritizing your own needs, you cannot effectively maintain your other responsibilities to the best of your ability.

I fully recognize the hypocritical nature of me speaking out against overstressing. I transferred schools, moved across the country and have changed my major four times thus far, so stress is not exactly a new concept for me to grasp. I simply believe my mental health is more important than a grade will ever be.

Exams are inherently illogical because they condone a culture of memorization over free thought and exploration. Tests are not an accurate measure of a person’s intelligence because they eliminate consideration for divergent thinking and creativity.

The nature of tests contradicts the skills students should be developing during their college years. When students graduate, they are thrown into the real world, relying on critical thinking and problem solving—not memorization.

The true purpose of a liberal arts education is to foster the ability to have creative thoughts and innovative solutions through discovery, discussion and application. There is no viable way to prove someone’s ability to think outside the box without subjective judgment—which exams are unable to provide.

My grades are not a fair indication of my skills and intellect, so it is counterintuitive to give them precedence over my self-worth and health.

In a world glorifying perfection, it is our job to recognize our limits and find time to take care of ourselves, whether it be taking a much-needed nap, spending time with friends or just loving yourself through the occasional low grade. It is time to change the narrative on grades and give ourselves some grace this finals season.

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