While there are still three weeks of class left, now is the time to start getting organized for final exams. Go back and look over your syllabi and make sure you know everything that you will need to complete before the end of the semester. Specifically,

• Identify papers that still need to be written and which of your courses have final exams. If your class has a final exam, make sure you know whether the exam is cumulative and covers material from all of the semester or if it only covers material from a portion of the semester.

• If you haven't already formed a study group, form one. Meet regularly and discuss the class material. Ask each other what you think belongs on the final exam.

• Go back and look at your returned exams and papers. What can you learn from the comments?

• Find out the times of your final exams. You can find the final exam schedule at http://www.truman.edu/pages/463.asp -- If you're unsure about the time or location of your exam, ask your instructor.

Don't be overwhelmed by everything you'll need to get done over the next few weeks. After you compile your list, you can begin to lay out a study schedule for yourself. Make sure you have all the materials you'll need to complete any remaining papers. For courses with cumulative finals, you can start to review and prepare study guides now. Most students discover that they need to increase the number of hours that they need to devote to studying at the end of the semester. By increasing your study time now, you'll find the whole end of the semester experience less stressful.

Concerned about a family member or friend?  Sometimes knowing how to respond is difficult when you see that someone close to you struggles with a problem.  You may be worried about saying the wrong thing.  Usually the main thing the person needs is for someone to listen and understand.  Social support from family and friends is one of the most important things in our lives and makes a significant impact on our overall health and happiness.  Here are some general guidelines to use when providing support:

• Listen intently and show that you are listening by giving verbal or nonverbal acknowledgement such as nodding your head.

• Express your care, concern, and interest.

• Point out the behaviors that you have observed that are of concern but avoid criticizing or sounding judgmental.

• Actions can speak louder than words.  Try doing nice things for the person to help reduce their stress.

If you need further information on how to assist a family member or friend, you may contact a counselor at University Counseling Services for a consultation. Call 785-4014 or email ucs@truman.edu.

Upon graduation from college, many students report that an undergraduate research or creative project was one of their most significant educational experiences. Employers and graduate schools look for students who have demonstrated the ability and initiative to complete a research project. Undergraduate research, moreover, allows you to work closely with a faculty member and helps you bridge theory and practice. It also allows you to pursue a question of personal interest while mastering intellectual and practical skills. You can learn more about the benefits of research at http://src.truman.edu/Student_Info/main.asp.

You can learn more about undergraduate research by attending the Student Research Conference on Thursday, April 20 in Ophelia Parrish and Violette Hall. You can see the kinds of research projects your peers have completed. You can also attend lunchtime sessions to learn more about getting started on a research project. You can find the whole Conference program at http://src.truman.edu/.

Quote of the Week

"Education must also train one for quick, resolute and effective thinking. To think incisively and to think for one's self is very difficult. We are prone to let our mental life become invaded by legions of half truths, prejudices, and propaganda. At this point, I often wonder whether or not education is fulfilling its purpose. A great majority of the so-called educated people do not think logically and scientifically. Even the press, the classroom, the platform, and the pulpit in many instances do not give us objective and unbiased truths. To save man from the morass of propaganda, in my opinion, is one of the chief aims of education. Education must enable one to sift and weigh evidence, to discern the true from the false, the real from the unreal, and the facts from the fiction.

"The function of education, therefore, is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. But education which stops with efficiency may prove the greatest menace to society. The most dangerous criminal may be the man gifted with reason, but with no morals."

--Martin Luther King, Jr., "The Purpose of Education"

The complete text is available at http://www.stanford.edu/group/King/.