By now, students have figured out that midterms at art school versus midterms at other universities are completely different, and most of the time, one of the scariest weeks to be a SCAD student.
Instead of exams, or even in addition to exams, students have drawings and digital artwork due. The symptoms of a student who is suffering from midterms are pretty simple: the zombie like appearance, the possibility of wearing clothes for two or more days at a time, not eating, and spending all night in one of the many 24-hour buildings. So how does a student prepare for midterms week?
“I like to study in my room and listen to music. I watch TV shows in the background, which may not be the best decision, but it helps me concentrate because I need sound to work,” Photography junior Kaylee Garland said.
Like most students, this seems pretty normal. For students with 24 hour access, though, the push to get through finals week is a little different.
“I slept in my car through out midterms week. I discovered a lot about Montgomery Hall last year by staying there for basically an entire week,” Animation sophomore Paige “Pidgeon” Lincecum said.
As the struggle for most animation students, Lincecum had an animation due at the end of the week for her midterm grade. Instead of trekking back and forth from Oglethorpe House to Montgomery Hall, she decided to stay put and only go home to shower.
“I was always really cold so I carried around blankets, and I ate a ton of McDonalds because it was the only thing open when I was awake. I also hid from my professor when he came into the building for his first class,” Lincecum said.
Dedication to school is something that comes pretty standard at SCAD, but sometimes, it gets to the point where sometimes you just need to go home and sleep.
“Last year I stayed in Montgomery Hall for 16 hours straight with only two Monster energy drinks and I legitimately thought I was going to die. I couldn’t even see straight, and I would not recommend it to anyone, ever,” Sequential Art Sophomore Will Norton said.
With all of the good, the bad, and the ugly in mind, I’ll leave you with some advice on how to deal with the oncoming midterm week.
1. Please, please, please, do not forget to shower. As a Motion Media major at Montgomery Hall, I know all too well what body odor smells like. When midterms week hits, some very dedicated individuals will stay at Montgomery and even sleep underneath their computer desks. So I will reiterate, do not forget to shower.
2. Nap time is essential. If you are in a hard class and know that your week will be hard, take naps if you cannot afford to go home and sleep through the night. You will thank yourself, and the people around you will thank you for not being a less grumpy version of yourself.
3. Bring snacks when you go and work. When leaving your dorm room or house to go and work, don’t forget to bring things that will give you energy and fuel you up to get as much work done as possible. To steal the slogan from Snickers, you are not you when you are hungry.
And finally, 4. Midterms week is just the beginning. There is still finals week. Do not freak out. Save that for finals week.
Good luck!