Substance Use & Final Exam Prep


Meet our new counselor, Chris Mazzo. Chris is working on his Master’s degree in Marriage & Family Therapy at UMASS Global, and has spent the last three years working as a drug and alcohol counselor at various substance use disorder and chemical dependency centers.

Whether the upcoming final exams are your last at MCC, or they are just the end to a semester, they can be quite stressful. And what do a lot of people tend to do when feeling the stress of final exams? Maybe…grab a drink or two (or ten) to relax, smoke some Marijuana to take the edge off, or take an Adderall to power through those study sessions?

Let us help you understand the dangers of substance use during final exam prep.

Dangers of Substances in Final Exam Prep

  • Substance dependency – through continued use of alcohol, marijuana, or stimulants, students may end up being dependent on substances which can lead to unwanted mental, emotional, or physical changes.
  • Substance overdose – with or without substance dependency, students may end up taking too much of a substance. This process happens when the body cannot process the substances being taken, therefore damaging vital organs and can lead to serious harm or even death if not treated.
  • Missing or failing exams – taking too many substances during final exam prep may result in a physical, mental, or emotional shutdown. Withdrawals from substances can not only cause poor concentration and lack of energy, but may lead to serious harm.

Healthy Ways to Prepare for Your Final Exams

Even though it may seem as if you cannot make it through final exam prep without substances, there are many healthy ways to prepare for exams. The sooner you implement these techniques, the less stress you will feel when it gets closer to the actual exam. 
  • Allot 30-60 minutes each day for required readings.
  • Avoid cramming, and instead alternate set periods of studying with clearly-defined, healthy downtime.
  • Take practice tests. 
  • Join or create a study group.
  • Contact Health Services for a counseling session.
  • Down Shine, the daily self-care app to help you rest, heal, and grow.
  • Attend one or both of our upcoming workshops on Managing Stress & Anxiety (May 10th at noon) or Reducing Study Stress and Improving Focus (May 17th at 4pm).

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