With the onset of Dead Week, stress levels among students typically rise, a fact that professors say does not go unnoticed.

That stress usually puts more students in classroom seats. Paul DeJong, an Iowa State engineering professor, said his classes have been well attended this week.

Lynn Glass, an education professor, said attendance in his upper level classes has shown a slight increase, likely due to the fact that his students have projects due at the end of the week.

On the other hand, sociology professor Marty Miller said he has not noticed a significant change in the number of students attending his large lecture class.

Professors, not surprisingly, have also noticed a change in the number of students who are coming into their offices asking for help.

But DeJong said it was “far too late to get help on a major problem.”

University officials say the major problems students are facing this week are caused by the stress of trying to meet too many deadlines in a short time frame. DeJong said he talked to his class about the importance of meeting deadlines earlier in the semester.

Glass said both professors and students play a part in causing term-end stress.

“This is a shared problem. We as faculty assign too much at the end of the semester and some of the students put it off,” Glass said. “In general, though, most of my students do a good job and are conscientious about keeping up with their work.”

Professors say students should plan ahead.

“Students should try to finish up strong in the stretch by working hard and preparing for their finals,” DeJong said.

Miller said students need to remember that they are not alone.

“Just remember that almost everybody will get through it and do fine. The sun will still come up after finals are over,” Miller said.