As the end of the semester inevitably falls upon us, we find ourselves once again preparing for finals. (Cue the groans) What could be more annoying than returning from Thanksgiving break only to have one week of classes left and four finals separating you from winter break? Well collegiettes, here’s a list of five things I’ve been looking forward to (gasp!) about finals this year. Don’t forget to enjoy yourselves during finals season despite all the usual stress by considering these five bright sides to finals:
1. Making Memories: Some of the best memories I’ve made with my friends in college have taken place while studying for finals. Whether it’s discovering how many coffees you and your friends can collectively drink before cracking, taking and posting countless pictures of your friends as they fall asleep while studying, or taking over a corner of the library and getting yelled at by fellow students, you are bound to remember these moments with a smile on your face.
2. Discovering Great Study Places: Who knew that the Social Sciences Building lobby is sometimes deserted late at night, making a great study place? Or that SO many classrooms are empty and just waiting for a study group to take over? Seriously, don’t be afraid to discover a new study place. Most buildings on campus are open and will close at a late hour, but allow you to stay in them until whenever you want. So claim a deserted area on campus and take it over with your friends!
3. Procrastination Central: There are so many great ways to procrastinate, especially during winter finals. You can easily waste hours posting and stalking pictures from winter formal, buying secret Santa gifts for your friends, or deciding which TV series you are going to watch from start to finish over winter break. Without the large summer break impending on you during winter finals, you have less stress and more to look forward to: just think of all the New Year’s outfits there are to shop for online.
4. Take Advantage of Finals Fest: Finals Fest is one of my favorite things about finals. Why? Because everything offered is 100% free. Isn’t “free” every college student’s favorite word? Finals fest offers many things every year and new things each year as well. I got my first “real” massage during Finals Fest, and did I mention free pizza every night? They offer free breakfast, free exercise classes, and many great de-stress activities. Take advantage of all these free offers, because you’ll only regret the ones you don’t go to.
5. Coziness: There’s nothing cozier to me than getting bundled up, ordering a hot drink, and writing a paper with snow falling beside my window. Yes, I could totally stress out about the paper I’m writing, but the beauty of finals week is that there are no classes to worry about and that you have more time than you think. Don’t forget to relax and enjoy these moments while also managing your time because even if you do end up pulling an all-nighter (we’ve all been there), there’s hardly ever going to be a moment in your life when you have to do this again. So whether that’s a good thought or bad one, keep in mind that college, and finals, is an experience you only have four years to enjoy.
My overall best advice for finals: don’t freak out, seriously manage your time, set rewards for yourself (free pizza!) and don’t forget to enjoy the time you have to check the last things off your semester’s to-do list–and have fun while you’re at it.