Finals at UCLA hit differently. Week ten exhaustion is real and the library is packed, not to mention the walk from the Hill feels colder every day. When you are running on caffeine and BruinLearn reminders, it is easy to forget that winter break is right there. Thinking about the small things waiting for you can make the last stretch feel less impossible.
Here are a few joys to keep in mind when finals start to blur together.
- Leaving campus knowing you survived another quarter
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There is nothing like that moment you take your last walk through campus and realize you are done. Walking down Janss Steps or Bruin Walk without stress hanging over you feels unreal.
- Real home food after weeks of quick meals
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De Neve late night and instant ramen only take you so far. Winter break means real meals cooked in a real kitchen. That alone is enough motivation to get through a study session.
- A morning where you do not sprint to class
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No alarms or running into a midterm you forgot about. Just a quiet slow morning that lets your brain catch up.
- Reuniting with hometown friends
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Seeing people who knew you before college feels grounding. You get to catch up and laugh about everything you missed and just exist without thinking about due dates.
- Holiday moments that actually feel relaxing
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Lights. Movie nights. Baking your favorite treats. Whatever you do, December finally feels fun again because you are not juggling four finals at once.
- The first time you can open your laptop without stressing
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During finals, every notification feels like a threat. Winter break gives you space to watch a show shop for gifts or scroll in peace.
- The simple comfort of being warm and inside
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Winter in LA is not freezing but the recent rain says otherwise. Curling up in your own bed with blankets that do not feel like dorm room fabric is a joy on its own.
- Doing the things you miss during the quarter
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Reading for fun, going on walks, listening to new music, taking long showers and all the tiny things you do once you finally have time again.
Finals may always be stressful but they are temporary. Winter break is close and the little moments waiting for you are worth holding on to. You just have to make it through the last stretch.