When exams are finally over and we suddenly have the ability to leave Addlestone Library, College of Charleston students are met with the blissful sense of freedom from their major schooling obligations.
We can finally watch Netflix in peace (more like Netflix and chill, am I right, *high fives self*) and nap for long periods of time without the constant guilt from procrastination---and finally tidy our dirty rooms. Something we can do, you know, without -
But, as individuals, we all have different ways of celebrating our liberation from our studies. Some of us mimic the domesticated cat by sleeping all the time. Some of us mimic the hibernating bear by eating constantly. Some of us mimic a hibernating cat-bear hybrid creature (a cear??) by eating constantly and then sleeping. I do all of these, but one-up the cat-bear by watching Vine compilations on the Internet.
Because every student shares the solace in no longer waking up at five AM to work on an essay due that morning, I have put together a list of things CofC students do after exams are finished. These are their ways of celebrating, or simply their ways of relaxing!
1. Cry
A wonderful activity many students engage in, releasing the waterworks may be a mechanism evolved to generate empathy and compassion in others, indicating our sadness or distress; and, at times, may release stress hormones that calm us down during a variety of different moods.
CofC student, Madison Mason, says, “I cry in relief for classes being done, and in pain for what my final grades will be.” Madison is a champion crier, and we should be very proud of her.
2. Drink Alcoholic Beverages
Ah, yes, the delight of sipping on a cold brewski after an ordeal has been overcome is an awesome way of winding down, preferably in the company of those you trust, or, simply, alone watching Vine compilation videos on the Internet.
Lucy Renneker, another CofC student, says that she drinks with her friends in celebration after finishing her finals: “After my final exam, my friends and I went out to lunch and had pizza and beer to celebrate being done! Having a beer after exams are over is a little tradition of ours because it almost tastes better knowing that you've earned it.”
3. Eat, Sleep, Detox, Repeat
Food is no doubt important: it gives us energy, it can be made to look really beautiful and it tastes really good. Hooray for food! Sleep, too, is important, and while our sleeping tends to dwindle throughout exams, we can have comfort in knowing that after them we will get more sleep. Maybe.
Some students doing this also ensure they restrict their caffeine intake, much like CofC student, Molly Epps, does after her finals are finished. She says, “Mostly, I sleep for as long as humanly possible... try to go detox caffeine out of my body after literally drinking it all week, and eat some good food around campus to ~treat myself~.”
4. Shun Addlestone Library
The College of Charleston student develops a love-hate relationship with its beautiful, on-campus library during exam seasons. While the library is magnificent inside and hosts tons of resources available to students, sitting on its ergonomic desk chairs for long periods of time causes one to have an aversion to it. Some may even get angry with it, calling it rude names, but thankfully Addlestone doesn’t mind because it does not have any ears.
Molly says, in fact, that she goes out of her way to avoid the library at all costs, “to avoid the nightmares of the past week,” that comes with staring at textbooks and computer screens under florescent lights for hours. A nice break from our place of study is truly relieving!
5. Comfort Food and Shopping.
Ayana Walker, a junior at CofC, says that she celebrated finishing her exams with some traditional Southern comfort food. “I treated myself to a nice brunch of shrimp and grits, with an order of beignets on the side. I then went shopping. I deserved it!”
Exams can sap your energy and interfere with your mood, so at times eating our favorite foods provides that consoling blanket of warmth around us. Shopping feels pretty good, too: you need to reward yourself for your hard work studying!
6. Do Literally Nothing
The above is an accurate representation of doing nothing while, at the same time, wondering if there’s something you could also be doing instead.
But, boy oh boy, let me tell you a thing or two about doing nothing: it feels great! Spending some time after exams lounging around eating snacks, watching an endless stream of the shows you couldn’t watch while studying (but probably ended up doing anyway) is my favorite way of celebrating post-exams.
So, what are your favorite ways of relaxing after the semester has finally come to a close?