March Madness was fun and exciting for those who enjoyed it, and Muse's song "Madness" is a great song. Stress, however, particularly the bad kind, known as distress, is a kind of madness that is not fun or exciting. If a person does not properly manage his stress, it can create problems in his life, such as poor sleep.

In just a couple of months, students will experience their own kind of madness, known as final exams. These tests can often make the difference between whether a student passes or fails a class, since the final carries a great deal of weight. Fortunately for the student, the grade on the final exam is not the only grade that makes up his final grade in the class. His grade in the class usually consists of the average of his test grades and his grades on projects, papers, and quizzes. A student can avoid experiencing a state of madness and freaking out over his finals if he is smart and prepares for them.

One way to prepare is to begin studying for finals now. If a student studies the material that is likely to show up on the test, and he rehearses the material again and again, it will be stuck in his head. It will go into his long-term memory, making it unlikely that he will forget it on test day. Early preparation is not the only way to avoid finals madness, however.

Another way to avoid stressing out on test day is to avoid late-night cram sessions. He should study, and then go to bed at a reasonable time. He will likely do much better on his test if he can think clearly. By going to bed at a reasonable time and getting the sleep he needs, he will also avoid falling asleep during the test. A situation like this would definitely cause problems, and the teacher might not be lenient. There is one other way for a student to have a more successful experience when he takes his final exams. He needs to be sure to take breaks when studying, rather than studying constantly.

Studying constantly would give a person a headache, for one thing. It would also make it difficult for the information to sink in. After a while, he would likely notice that the information no longer makes sense to him. If he takes breaks when he studies, on the other hand, he will have a better experience. While he is away from his studying, enjoying a fun activity like a movie, his subconscious mind will work on the material that he was studying. That way, when he returns to his studying later, the material will make more sense.

I hope that this article will help students out there to have a better finals experience. Good luck.