Finals frenzy: USC students grapple with stress about finals and the future

Classes are all but over at USC, and Trojans are basking in their newfound freedom. That is until Finals week, of course.

Are Trojans feeling the impending doom of finals? Or are they chilling for now?

A big cause for stress during finals isn’t even school-related. Many students are worried about what they’ll do after school’s over. With the expectation of internships and jobs, some Trojans say they’re having trouble relaxing.

Sophomore Sage Murthy will be continuing her job at the Keck School of Medicine and living on campus over the summer. However, she said, stressing about the future impacted her ability to plan for it.

“I was really stressed. But honestly, I was so stressed I didn’t do it, which seems to be a common trend in my life. But this job that I’m doing was something I was already doing now, which is why it was convenient for me to keep doing it. But it was stressful to look for anything else, so I ended up doing whatever was convenient,” Murthy said.

Still, some don’t have their plans solidified yet. Sophomore George Bordi is continuing to search for a summer internship, all while trying to stay positive.

“I think it stressed me out. I think a lot of my stress come from comparing myself to where other people are at, they’re just getting internships and stuff like that. But I feel like I’m not so stressed. I feel like I’m not as stressed about it as I used to be,” Bordi said.

Annenberg’s embedded counselor, Dr. Kelly Greco, said comparison is a big factor in a lot of students’ stress. Luckily, she has some advice for any Trojans struggling with feeling inadequate compared to other people.

“So always looking at, you know, am I comparing myself when I’m on social media, which most of us do. So healthy social comparison is I look at individuals and I’m happy for them, or they inspire me, or I want to emulate what they’re doing. So I know that’s hard. It’s hard for all of us, but when we put ourselves down and put someone up, that really is negative in terms of our response and reaction. So what’s wrong with me? I’m not good enough, and so we need to make sure that we focus on ourselves and not others,” Greco said.

She also had a message for graduating seniors, possibly worrying about the big changes they’ll be experiencing when they leave USC.

“Change is hard for all of us, so acknowledge that there’s grief, there’s loss, missing people, places, but it’s a great opportunity to create new routines, meet new people, be part of new communities. So when students are struggling with that, I’m like, ‘What are you doing to be proactive’,” Greco said. “It’s important of holding both that I’m grieving, I’m sad, I’m anxious, but yet this is exciting, and I need to make new opportunities happen.”

Fortunately, many seniors are not feeling as stressed as they used to be now that graduation is just around the corner.

Giorgio Jimenez, who will be getting his degree in finance with a minor in AI, is not worried at all.

“It’s a good feeling of accomplishment, but it’s, I mean, you never think you’re gonna graduate until you’re doing it, you know. So it’s pretty trippy in that way, but good overall,” Jimenez said.

Jack Longley, who will be graduating with a degree in NGOs and social change, is feeling surprisingly chill.

“I pulled an all-nighter for the first time in my time at USC to write a 15-page paper. So I’m a little exhausted, a little tired, and I would say there’s not as much stress right now as I have felt in the past. Which is weird, because I would expect that there would be more, as this is the finals that really matter because I have to walk across that stage,” Longley said.

However, a couple of relaxed seniors does not equal a stress-free finals week. Jagroop Ghuman, who is getting her degree in human biology, has three finals she still has to study for.

“It’s tough, especially the one that’s gonna be right before [graduation]. I don’t want to be studying for it. I would just want to be getting ready with my family, and then taking pictures or going out with my friends. But I have to do it. I can’t get away from it. I still need the degree,” Ghuman said.

Ghuman has also been experiencing some stress with post-grad plans, but she said she just needs to put everything in perspective.

“The more I talk to people, I realize I’m not alone, and I realize there are a lot of people still figuring out life, and do not have a lot of things figured out yet. And it makes me rethink,” she said. “If you put life in perspective, I feel like I’m still young, and it’s okay that I’m figuring it out. But it’s hard to deal with that stress of graduating soon.”

However you choose to manage stress, just know there are people feeling the same way, and you are not alone.