Beat the stress of finals week at Mizzou

by Amy Zuroweste, posted Dec. 6, 2011

As the end of the semester draws near, the MU campus is buzzing with holiday excitement. Decorations are going up, trips home are close by and everyone is filled with holiday cheer. With all of this joy around campus, students may forget about something else also nearing: finals week.

“With all the excitement about break, finals week has completely slipped to the back of my mind,” said freshman Abby Thoroughman. “I honestly have no idea what to expect. We never had to take finals at my high school.  I am kind of scared.”

Finals week is not pleasant sounding. For some students it elicits an automatic cringe. However, there are many ways to take a break and escape the stress of finals week at MU.

On Dec. 11 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Student Unions Programming Board will be offering a break from studying in Stotler Lounge. They will be decorating the MU Global Traditions Tree, making ornaments and cards that represent how you celebrate the holidays and offering refreshments.  

Many clubs and activities on campus are made to target stress reduction, such as BREATHE (Breathing and Relaxation Experiential Activities to Help Everyone), Stressbusters, MBSR (Mindful-Based Stress Reduction) and free yoga classes sponsored by the student health fee.

Along with attending stress-beating events, it is also important to eat right during finals week, according to collegefashion.net. It may seem like a good idea to grab the fastest food to eat, but remember that you need brain food during this critical week. Fruits and vegetables are easy and quick and will leave you feeling full longer, according to collegefashion.net. Skipping meals is something to avoid. If you are hungry you are likely to become distracted and less productive, so set aside some time to nourish yourself.

It is also important to get an adequate amount of sleep. Sleep deprivation leads to things like memory loss, inability to concentrate, headaches and increased stress levels, according to collegefashion.net. These are all things you definitely want to avoid during finals week!

Although finals week sounds scary, students find upsides to the week.

“One great thing about finals week is the food,” said Rebecca Puckett, a sophomore at MU. “Last year my dorm, Lathrop, asked us what kind of finals food we wanted. They provided us with Hotbox, pizza and healthy foods.  Many places around campus had snacks too, like my sorority house and the Women’s Center. There was also 24-hour quiet hours in the residence halls, it was great.”

The lounge in the Women’s Center, located in the basement of the Student Center, will be open and stocked with snacks, blankets for power naps and school supplies all week.

Fall semester classes will end on Dec. 8, and Reading Day will be held on Dec. 9.  Finals week runs from Dec. 12 through Dec. 16.

“Hopefully time continues to go by as fast as it has been,” Thoroughman said. “I am just looking forward to being done and going home for the holidays. I am literally counting down the days.”

{back to homepage}