Maker Space
Finals can be one of the most stressful experiences you will have in college. Luckily, Loyola Marymount understands this and they have your back. LMU offers several creative de-stressing activities. For example, all week the library offers a “Maker Space”. Here, you can take a break from all your library studying (the library is open 24 hours during finals week) and play with Legos, make crafts, do mandala coloring, origami, and puzzles as a part of their annual “Feel Good Finals” events.
What if you’re looking for more physical relaxation? Well, then how do massages sound? For only ten dollars, you can get a twenty-minute table massage between 5-8 PM from December 12 -14. If you want to book an appointment, call the FitWell center by, Friday, December 9. There are also a couple of yoga classes the school offers in Burns Recreation Center starting December 9.
Therapy Animals
What if you’re looking for something completely different? What about hanging out with some animals? Next Tuesday and Wednesday from 12-1:30 students will be able to take pictures and play with several adorable dogs and cats outside the library atrium. I will say that this is usually a fan favorite.
Besides these wonderful de-stressing activities, here are some general tips on stress management during finals week. If you have a ten-page paper to write, then a good way to approach it is by breaking it up into much more manageable, two-page segments. Taking it two pages at a time is much less overwhelming than trying to finish the whole essay all at once. Another thing that I strongly recommend is studying with friends. This is helpful for several reasons. For starters, it is much harder to get yourself to sit down and study when you are alone, plus it’s also just more boring. But if you schedule a time to study with some friends (perhaps in one of the library’s study rooms you can reserve), it will be much harder to procrastinate. Depending on the type of learner you are, a more interactive and social study environment could also be much more helpful than just sitting alone. I know personally, that I do much better when my study partners and I are quizzing each other. Also, group studying is a great way to make new friends with the people in your classes, and that’s always a plus!
The most important thing to keep in mind is that although finals are important, they aren’t worth making yourself sick with stress. As long as you put in the time, and put in the effort, then you will be able to succeed in your finals. Although it is natural to feel a little finals stress, overstressing will actually hurt your performance. So make sure you learn to balance the stress with some of these tips and some of the activities the school offers.