Ah, the worst time of the year is upon us: finals week. College students spend their time questioning their life decisions, morals, and intelligence. Finals week is already hitting hard. Campus functions differently during finals and it's important to respect the atmosphere so you don't upset the delicate balance. Here's a reminder of the unspoken rules of campus during finals week to keep everyone as sane as physically possible:
1. Respect the dress code
The finals week dress code includes sweatpants, leggings, baggy t-shirts and crewnecks, messy hair, etc. Greasy hair and no makeup is undoubtedly acceptable. Anything considered "nice" is prohibited. Dressing too nice makes the rest of your exhausted and lazy peers look bad. On top of it, we need to focus on our studies and not on the fact that someone looks amazing. We must remain united in our appearance because if we all look like a mess, none of us look like a mess.
2. Don't hog the service dogs
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When groups are amazing enough to bring in service animals to help release our stress, don't hog up all their time. There's nothing more disappointing than needing some puppy love, but not getting a chance because the same people sit with the dogs for the entire time they're there. Get the love you need (and a few extra kisses), and make room for everyone else. We all need some doggos in our lives.
3. Pay attention when picking up your coffee
The frustration, anxiety, and sadness that comes over you when someone accidentally takes the caffeine you desperately need is dreadful. We wait for our order in a crowded cafe for almost fifteen minutes before asking if the workers made it, only to find out they handed it out ten minutes ago and someone else took it. Then we have to wait another five to ten minutes for them to remake it for us. Pay attention so you can enjoy the correct order and I can get my caffeine fuel before more studying.
4. Don't stare at the person crying
If you claim to have never cried over school at one point, you're lying. We've all hit that point of frustration where we just need to cry. Finals release a culmination of all our built up emotions. Just let it happen. It's already embarrassing to cry in public, don't make people even more self-conscious. Feel free to give a little smile to brighten their day and let students have their moments.
5. Calories don't count
Let's be honest, anything we know about nutrition goes down the drain when it comes to finals week. Our bank accounts and meal plans hit an all time low. We don't want to justify leaving the library so we order in. We live off cheap, easy comfort food to survive finals. The ungodly hours we eat at are probably awful, but don't judge us for eating an entire pizza or that box of Insomnia Cookies at 3:00 am. We need it. It doesn't count.
6. Talking in the library is forbidden
This is a rule 24/7, but far more relaxed during the rest of the year. Those of us who travel to libraries to study specifically do so for the quiet, distraction-free atmosphere, and it affects our studying when a group walks in and ignores our silence. If you have a group or want to chat, there are other places for you: Group study rooms, dining halls, the student union, etc. If all those places are too busy, pick one of the hundreds of random classrooms on campus. However, don't ruin our study space because you're too lazy to look for literally anywhere else to go.
7. Don't post your post-finals drinks
Seeing people celebrating being done with finals and going out makes it so hard for those who still have exams to stay focused. The temptation of $1 bombs makes it hard to think about Organic Chemistry or Econ. Don't make us give in to the temptation. Help keep us focused so we can celebrate with you soon (because celebrating is far more fun than drinking away the sorrows of failing).
Good luck on finals everyone, and remember, it's just an exam!
