It’s almost upon us: finals week. Face it, we go home for Thanksgiving, come home, take a breath and then we’re taking final exams. But not to worry! These USF resources will help keep you sane and relaxed while you prepare for your tests.
1. The USF Wellness Center
There’s nothing better than the massage chairs at the Wellness Center, located in the Marshall Student Center. You can get either a five or fifteen-minute massage in one of their regular standing or zero-gravity chairs. If you don’t have time to stop by for a massage, you can always grab a piece of fresh fruit or a sleep pack that contains an eye mask, tea and earplugs. See a full list of services here.
2. Paws For Relaxation
If you’re an animal person, this program is definitely for you. Every semester, USF brings in dogs for students to pet to help relieve stress. This is usually set up in front of the library, where many students prepare for their exams. Check out this Oracle article about the program from this past spring semester.
3. Reserving a study room and studying in groups.
If you study well in groups, consider reserving a small or large study room in the library. Larger rooms are usually equipped with both whiteboards and smart boards, while the smaller rooms have a regular dry-erase board. The library can even provide you with expo markers or a laptop if you need an extra one or if yours is broken. Reserve a study room with this link.
4. Taking a break at Castor Beach.
It’s certainly hard to stress out in a hammock. Consider bringing your laptop over to Castor Beach and either studying your materials there or plugging in some headphones and watching your favorite movie. I usually find this to be more calming at night, but this can also be a nice spot to relax during the day in between your normal activities.
5. Scheduling in time to sleep.
Staying up all night cramming for exams isn’t going to help you succeed. By planning out your study schedule in advance, you can make sure that you get enough sleep each night. Science actually shows that getting enough sleep and studying before a test will help you remember the material more clearly. USF students have two days of no class for reading days after the Thanksgiving break, so make sure that you’re planning to get at least eight hours of sleep the night before your exams. Your body, mind and GPA will certainly thank you.
