Finals Week Self-Care

As we slowly approach the end of the Fall 2024 semester, finals week looms over us with endless hours of studying for exams or projects due. Many of us tend to hyperfocus on studying and put the majority of our energy into making sure we are ready and well-prepared for any finals given. While this is a good thing for our academics, finals week tends to be the most stressful week for not only students but our professors as well. While students are stressing about their exams, professors also feel exhausted as they work to make sure all assignments and exams are graded on time.

It is stressful not only for students but also for faculty and staff. That being said, with only a couple of weeks left till finals, here are some ways to add moments of self-care and love to your routines so that come finals the stress we feel is not at an all-time high.

Self-care Nights
One good way to add some self-care and love to your routines is to have a self-care night. This could be hanging out with friends or roommates and doing face masks or it could be just having a relaxing bath or shower. Self-care looks different for many people: it could be doing activities with others or solo. People choose to do self-care because it is an important thing to add to routines not only leading up to finals but in everyday life.

Movie Night
Movie nights provide a healthy break between all the studying and grading, and can be done with others or solo. Movie nights also can be a nice way to bond with a study group, friends and roommates alike. While there may be arguments over which films to watch it is a fun way to take a moment and de-stress ourselves to not create burnout.

Karaoke Night
Karaoke nights, like movie nights, create a fun way to de-stress about finals. While this may be hard to do if you live on campus or share a space with others, taking a small moment to jam out to either a favorite song or one that has been on repeat for months can help you forget about exams for a while. Additionally, while this section has a night in the title, it could be during a drive to the store or heading home for the weekend.

Reading Nights
As the title says, reading nights refer to reading something other than the academic textbooks students will be having their noses in for hours. This could be taking a few minutes to read a few pages of a book that has been sitting on the shelf for years, or opening a Kindle and re-reading a favorite book again for the hundredth time. No matter how students or professors choose to read or the type of genre they pick, it provides a small break from academic texts for our brains.

Cooking/Potluck
During finals, many students will either stop at the dining hall or pick up something from the Corner Store for dinner or to eat while studying. While this is what the declining balance and meal plans are for, cooking or having a potluck night with your friends, study group or roommates can be a fun thing to do. Of course, if you choose to do this activity please make sure to be aware of any potential dietary restrictions. With that aside, having these types of nights offers a fun activity where you can bond with others and make some good food.

The ways listed above are not for everyone, whether that is due to a lack of interest in the activities or schedules not lining up nicely. If there is anything that you take away from this article, please take some time out of the day to de-stress and do some form of self-care. Additionally once you have taken care of yourselves, check in on your friends or roommates. We all are feeling the stress of finals week, students and professors alike. No one is alone in feeling stressed out and it is something we all have in common on campus.