A Brigham Young University study found that college students are more stressed than ever in the midst of their fight to be the greatest they can be in their academics.

At times, the stress students put on themselves to perform well during finals week can only lead to more and more stress.

According to a New York University study, stress is the No. 1 reported impediment to academic performance, and 6 in 10 college students reported having felt so stressed they couldn’t get their school work done.

Cassie Thomas, Shorter’s director of student life and recent Shorter graduate, found that setting goals for herself as a student during studying was beneficial to getting through finals.

“I would read over two chapters worth of notes, and then I would give myself a five or 10-minute break,” Thomas said. “You have to take time to rest your brain.”

Much like Thomas, Anthony Chatmon, Shorter’s director of residence life and student conduct, believes taking study breaks during finals week is crucial.

“When I was a student, we would make it a point during the week to take a few hours to enjoy doing something fun and give our minds a rest for a few hours,” Chatmon said, “and after our activity, we would go back to work on studying for our next final or continue to work on our paper.”

Chatmon added that it’s important to exercise time management during finals week, which leads to the next bit of advice: sleep.

Despite the urge college students may have to pull all-nighters, Thomas believes sleep is important for finals week.

“The extra couple of hours studying seems like it will be beneficial, but in reality if you do not get enough sleep, you will have a hard time recalling all of the information you were studying,” Thomas said.

Junior sports management major Kelsi Jones has first-hand knowledge of how vital sleep can be during finals week.

“As a natural crammer, I know it gets tough because you want to study the whole night, but you must spread your studying out, manage your time well and give yourself plenty of time for good rest.”

But even beyond incorporating natural habits like stress breaks and sleeping, there are other steps students should take to prepare for finals.

Psychology professor Andrea Stiles pointed out the importance of making studying a habit from the start of the semester to combat the possibility of cramming studies during the week of finals.

“Don’t get behind. Read and study as assigned in syllabus from the beginning of the semester,” Stiles said. “Make and keep notes. Read back through notes weekly and condense them as you more fully grasp them from week to week.”

The key to success for any student to get the grades he or she wants depends somewhat on the teacher. From the professor’s perspective, preparing students with the information they need is just as important as students reviewing the material.

“I review with students and typically give a study guide, either in written form or through a class lecture so that there are no surprises at test time,” Stiles said. “I also offer to have them come visit me during office hours to discuss anything they are unsure about.”

Finals week can cause sheer panic in freshmen students, and more and more freshmen are finding themselves struggling to stay on top of their personal health when finals week comes.

The UCLA Higher Education Research Institute found that nationwide first-year-college students’ sense of emotional well-being is at its lowest since 1985.

Freshman biology major Alli Bell, having just completed her first finals week, has learned that its crucial to take care of yourself at finals.

“It’s so easy to get stressed out, so make sure to stay away from distractions.”

Bell also suggests doing one non-academic related activity each day.

“Take 30 minutes or an hour out of the day to do something fun,” Bell said. “Plus, that gives you a study break to look forward to, and it keeps you calm.”

Jones said her reliever during finals week is the community of people in which she surrounds herself.

The Shorter University Office of Student Life offers students a break through its finals week events at the end of each semester.

Shorter’s “Late Night Breakfast” is always held the first day of finals and is an activity to go to for a study break and an abundance of breakfast food. It is also a chance for faculty and staff to “serve” students in ways they don’t normally do … with a ladle in hand or an offer to pour their beverage of choice.

The Miracle Field of Rome, which is host to the Miracle League, opened in the spring of 2012. The Field eliminates the obstacles that keep children with mental and physical disabilities off the baseball field and provides them a first-hand experience of the excitement of America’s favorite pastime.

The Miracle League Website states that the main barriers for disabled children arise from conventional natural grass fields, but the Miracle Field uses a custom-designed, rubberized turf that accommodates wheelchairs and other medical devices while also helping to prevent injuries.

The Miracle League’s mission is to provide opportunities for children with disabilities to play baseball, regardless of their abilities, to promote community support and sponsorship of Miracle Leagues and to promote the construction of special facilities that meet the unique needs of Miracle League players and their families. Because the organization believes “every child deserves a chance to play baseball.”

The League only has four rules: each player bats once each inning, each player is safe on the bases, each player scores a run before the inning is over and each team and player wins every game.

But, the Miracle League is about more than just baseball games.

The League strives to provide each player with a memorable experience. The League is about helping the players make new friends and build self-esteem, and it strives to treat the players just like other athletes.

Star Crone, Miracle League player Trey Crone’s mother, says her son who was born with Down syndrome fell in love with baseball at a young age. Trey, who is now 27, has been participating in the Miracle League since he was a boy, and Ms. Crone remembers when her son had to play on wet, muddy fields that posed a challenge to both him and his teammates.

“That’s why Miracle Field is such a great thing for our players,” Ms. Crone said.

The Rome Braves’ Director of Special Projects and the Director of Miracle Field Christina Shaw said the Field enables challenged players in Northwest Georgia and the surrounding areas to enjoy playing baseball in their own community. She added that it’s important for their caregivers to be able to sit in the stands and to enjoy watching their player and cheer them on.

The Rome Braves Organization plays a significant role at the Miracle Field, where they maintain and upkeep the Field as well as make any improvements. They also coordinate volunteers and work closely with the Rome Recreation Department.

A normal game day at the Miracle Field consists of the Rome Braves staff opening and cleaning the facility in the morning. Volunteers arrive about 30 minutes prior to the games, and they fill out forms and receive their t-shirts. The national anthem plays prior to the start of the first game, and two one-hour games are then played.

The Rome Braves players also visit the Field during the spring season to serve as buddies.

The League uses a “buddy” system of pairing each player with an able-bodied peer to help the athletes, and the result is an indescribable bond.

Ms. Crone believes it’s amazing that the Rome Braves players take time out of their day to come out to the Miracle League games.

“The Braves come out and pitch for our players and let them get their pictures taken with them,” Ms. Crone said. “It makes our kids feel important when the Braves volunteer to be buddies for them.”

Ms. Crone said her son has made many memories at Miracle Field, but there is one that stands out.

“Trey was in the outfield and had his glove out, waiting to catch any ball that came his way,” Ms. Crone said.

Then the miracle catch at Miracle Field happened.

“It’s like God put the ball right in his glove,” she said. “At first, it scared him when the ball fell in his glove, but then he looked down started smiling and jumping up and down saying, ‘I did it, I did it’.”

The Miracle League and Miracle Field have an impact on more than just the players.

It never ceases to amaze Ms. Crone how time spent at the Miracle Field can turn her whole day around.

“The atmosphere at the Field just puts everyone in a good mood,” Crone said.

One of her favorite stories is about a Rome Miracle League player, who is also a Rome Braves employee during the season.

“He’s known for his love of the game, and he constantly supported and cheered on a local little league team in Rome,” she said. “In turn, they all showed up on his last game of the season with signs and sat in the stands cheering him on.”

Shaw’s favorite part about being involved with Miracle Field and the League is being able to share that impact with people who may have not been able to experience it before.

The Miracle League website states that “our players may not be able to run the bases or hit the ball as well as some of their peers, but they have an equal amount of love and determination to play baseball, and we want to help them achieve that dream.”

And that’s exactly what the program is doing.