Even in high school, finals week is an incredibly stressful time. But in college, the pressure gets amped up through the roof. For many courses, how you do on your finals will play a huge role in your semester grades, so you’ll need to make sure you’ve memorized every detail of the Franco-Prussian War or that you can correctly label every bone in the human body, or you’ll risk jeopardizing your chances at grad school.
Once you get to college, you’ll probably spend most of the weeks leading up to finals staying up until 3 AM, reading and re-reading a semester’s worth of notes, and downing coffee after coffee. But too much stress isn’t healthy, and colleges know that. That’s why many schools have come up with some unique traditions to help students slow down, de-stress, and have fun before finals start. Here are a few of our favorites.
Puppy therapy. In the words of Charles Schultz, “Happiness is a warm puppy.” We agree—and so do the folks at Chapman University in Orange, California. The school has launched a new event during the week before finals called “Furry Friends for Finals,” in which a group of puppies for students to play with are stationed outside of the library, providing a fun and cuddly study break.
Scream therapy. Being under so much stress can make you want to scream. So why don’t you? At many schools around the country, including Northwestern, Stanford, and Harvard, students take part in a “primal scream,” where everyone opens their dorm windows and screams as loud as they can for about five minutes. If you’re not a part of it, you probably don’t want to be within earshot.
Late-night breakfast. After pulling an all-nighter studying, you’re sure to be in need of some sustenance. So at some schools, including New York University, professors will treat their students to a special late night breakfast of pancakes, French toast, and other tasty treats to give them the strength for another long day of exams.
Library dance parties. They aren’t exactly faculty-sanctioned, but at schools including James Madison University and Carleton College, students have organized secret library dance parties via Facebook, turning the study haven into half an hour or so before returning to business as usual.
Free massages. Many schools, including Indiana University, offer free massages during cram and finals weeks, along with snacks, movies, and games.
Undie runs and streaks. Finally, for the ultimate in goofy stress relief, at a handful of schools, it’s become an annual tradition to take part in a cross-campus run wearing nothing but underwear—or, at some schools, nothing at all. At UCLA, more than 5,000 students often take part in the Undie Run, while UC Berkeley, Harvard, and several other schools have a tradition of streaking across campus. It’s definitely a way to take your mind off the books—but if you get involved, make sure you don’t get photographed or you’ll probably end up thoroughly exposed on Facebook!
