While finals week can be stressful for many students, there are plenty of resources around Taylor that allow for a moment of calm in the middle of the storm.
Every year, the Counseling Center always puts together opportunities for students to have fun and create memories.
One activity the Counseling Center does every fall is their “Santa Paws” night, in collaboration with the Student Activities Council.
“We’re going to have therapy dog puppies, and we will be looking at having that at 6-8 o’clock Monday, Dec. 5,” Craig Cochran, director of the Counseling Center said.
During “Santa Paws,” the Counseling Center provides mugs for students to fill with hot chocolate and plays music to add to the Christmas spirit. There will also be a jar where students can add their names with a chance to win a prize.
In addition to “Santa Paws,” the Counseling Center is putting on a new event, “Santa’s Workshop,” where students can decorate cookies on Wednesday, Dec. 7. There will be another raffle, so students can have more chances at winning a prize. There will also be a station to write notes of appreciation and decorate cards.
“We want to continue some things and then just to add new things to keep it fresh and current,” Lori Heath, assistant for campus ministries said.
As students work hard to complete their last assignments for the semester, stress can be different in the fall and spring. It can certainly be challenging when the days are shorter and the temperature is colder.
However, each season has its own beauty to take advantage of.
“I think spring is more conducive to having outdoor activities,” Heath said. “I think the fall has more of a Christmas theme because of the time of year.”
When the amount of projects feels impossible to get done, or content does not quite seem to stick, there are plenty of tools to relieve the pressure that are already available.
For crafty people, coloring or creating bracelets can help, especially because the repetitive motions of the activity give a sense of calm.
“Sometimes when I’m sitting down studying in the library, I’ll walk around the library to get some movement flowing in my body to look at new things like that,” senior Zaye Wide said.
If there is time to go on a jog or walk around the Loop, exercising is great for de-stressing, and there are numerous benefits to studying and walking around at the same time as it can help improve memory and provide oxygen.
There are also other moments when simply relaxing is all that is needed to allow time for de-stressing.
“One, you can sit in front of the fire and just enjoy and relax with that; but also, again, if I go back to being in community, being able to do that with your dorm, your friends, your roommates, I think it’s another great de-stressor,” Cochran said.
Stress is pretty much inevitable for a college student, but spending time with friends and doing fun activities allows for moments of tranquility. In the end, being grounded in Christ will bring ultimate peace no matter how daunting finals week may seem.
Shorter days might make motivation tougher, but time to be still is more important than ever.
“If you don’t take time for your mental health and managing your stress, it’s going to come back to bite you,” senior Katey Averill said.
Weekends are also a good time to rest. Since there are no classes, there is more personal time for relaxation and studying, so it is good to take advantage of the extra space if it is available.
Finals week is a time to celebrate knowledge learned throughout the semester and lift others up in their studies, because no one is alone in their stress.
