With midterms and course selection coming up, it’s really starting to feel like fall.

As any AIC student can tell you, that is always a stressful time.

Cramming for exams and on top of all that, creating a schedule that is both relevant to your major and allows you to get your general education requirements out of the way can seem impossible.

“It’s a really stressful time of the year for me right now and I feel like a lot other people can relate as well,” stated Kristen Joseph, a Health Science student. “It’s midterm time and you have in depth exams for all of your classes with work and extra-curriculars on top of that”

Many students here at AIC don’t really know how to prepare themselves for the sudden shift of exams and responsibilities.

Professor Richard Greco of the Science Department offered some advice to stressed-out students.

For exams especially, do not cram study, as it will only make you more stressed and more likely to forget, he said.

“The night before an exam, you should just relax as all your studying should be done,” Professor Greco said.

“Studying is a process, not an event. The morning before an exam you should eat well but you shouldn’t try to cram. Simply glance over your notes to jog your memory,” he added.

As for course selections, which start for seniors on Monday, Oct. 31 and the rest of the student body on Tuesday, Nov. 1, that is a whole different type of stress.

When creating your schedule, remember to take into consideration your general education requirements as well as the courses needed for your major. There are just so many choices, so it’s best you figure out your schedule as soon as possible, preferably a week in advance.

There is also a new system used for course selection.

Over the summer, Jenzabar took over CAMS and so far, it appears to be easier to use.

Julie Hill-Spivey, the assistant director of ACE, provided some insight on the new Jenzabar system,

“You just have to put in the course number and it makes the schedule for you,” said Hill-Spivey.

“You should also see your advisor ahead of time,” she added, referring to avoiding errors in course selection. As for whether you should go ahead and get your general education requirements out of the way, she also offered insight to that.

“It’s good to get them out of the way, but you should also look into the course catalog on what’s available. Classes fill up quickly,” Hill-Spivey said.

And it’s true – some courses fill up by the next morning and others you need aren’t even available that particular semester. Instead of worrying about classes you need to graduate, take the ones that are available now.

That is, unless you’re graduating next semester; in which case by all means, stress out.

Midterms are stressful, course selections are stressful, this entire clown-infestation is stressful, but from a psychological standpoint, some stress in good.

Stress is a signal to the body to make sure you get things done which is exactly what every student needs to do.

They need to get their studying done and they need to get their schedules set. For those who follow through, the rewards will be great!