As I write this article from the comfort of my childhood home, I am relieved that I am done with finals season for this semester. I had four final exams this past semester and most of them fell at the end of finals period so I was studying pretty hard for a few weeks which can be pretty stressful. However, there were a few activities and practices that helped me feel a little less stressed during that time so I thought I would share how I got through a very busy finals season.
The first activity that I’ve found to be great for stress relief for finals season is visiting the Yale University Art Gallery (YUAG). I’ve found this to be super relaxing because when you’re super stressed out sometimes it helps to be surrounded by beautiful pieces of art. This definitely helps me feel less stressed and distracts me from obsessing over my finals while still making me feel like I’m spending my time in a worthwhile way.
I’m a huge proponent of rewarding yourself after a big exam or long study session with a little treat and New Haven is a great place to do that. There are tons of great restaurants and shops in New Haven and it’s especially easy to use the SnackPass app to order food on your way out of an exam or out of the library. I, personally, found myself picking up ice cream, bubble tea, and donuts on the way back from particularly hard exams or on the way to particularly long days in the library.
Another great stress-relief option is going to see one of Yale’s incredible performing arts groups. There are a surprising amount of music, dance, theater, and acapella performances that happen either during or right before reading period and they make for a great study break especially at night. This semester, I went to an opera and a performance of a musical I’d worked on. I found them both to be super entertaining and a great way to destress especially when you go with a big group of friends.
While all of the strategies mentioned above are a big help, what truly got me through finals day-to-day this semester was spending time with my suitemates and friends in Morse. Coming home to eat dinner with everyone in the Morse dining hall every night really helped me stay sane when I would lock myself away in the library for most of the day during reading week. Dinner was also a great time for us to bond over how hard we were working and to give each other encouragement as we were heading into exams.
Finals and reading week can be a stressful time but there are lots of resources to get through it, both academically and socially. The last few weeks of the semester are often the hardest as classes stop and students are focused on finishing final projects, writing final papers, and studying for final exams; however, while I’m relieved to be done with finals this semester, I wouldn’t say I’m dreading this period next semester because I know I have all of these things to look forward to.
