It’s easy to get caught up in the chaos of final exam season, especially when it’s nearly impossible to find a seat — or an outlet — in Bird Library. Here’s where you can catch a break.

Grab a warm drink at People’s Place

Tucked in the basement of Hendricks Chapel is People’s Place, a student-run coffee shop. The beverage menu features a variety of specialty coffee drinks.

The cafe’s most popular drink is the chocolatey “Austin Powers,” employee Sarah Butts said. For the holiday season, they are offering a spin-off of the beverage — an “Eggnaustin” — which adds eggnog to the recipe.

If libraries on campus are too crowded, students can study right around the corner in the Noble Room. Butts said the space is usually quiet and has plenty of chairs and couches. She added that people often nap on the pews right outside the ordering window.

Break a sweat at the Women’s Building

For Josh Rodriguez, a student personal trainer at the Women’s Building, yoga is one of the best ways to de-stress. He said yoga can reduce blood pressure which can make it easier to sleep at night, so it can be helpful to do simple yoga poses two hours before bed.

He recommends doing at least 30 minutes of exercise that’s enjoyable to you because the activity can help clear your mind of the day’s stressors and release endorphins. If students don’t have time to hit the gym, Rodriguez said a 30-minute walk in the fresh air can help rejuvenate your body.  

Therapy dogs at Bird Library

Three dogs, including an English bulldog puppy making his therapy dog debut, were in Room 114 of Bird Library on Monday night. For students who may be missing their furry friends back home, the Office of Health Promotions is hosting therapy dogs in through Thursday, Dec. 6 from 3 to 5 p.m.

Review sessions for popular College of Arts and Sciences courses will also be held in Room 114, Peter Graham Scholarly Commons, each night. The course reviews being hosted the rest of this week include AST 101, BIO 121 and BIO 327.

Find peace at the MindSpa

Now located in the Counseling Center, the MindSpa offers guided meditation technology and mood therapy light. Happy Light by Verilux helps increase alertness and elevate mood by simulating a sunny atmosphere during the grey winter months, said Mackenzie Proud, a peer educator at the Office of Health Promotion.

Other technology students can use during their session includes a Muse headset, which students can connect their phones to follow a guided meditation session. One software available can track the user’s heart rate and breathing during meditation sessions, Proud said.

The room also offers pillows, yoga mats, a Buddha Board and coloring books — “anything you could need to possibly destress,” Proud said. Students can book MindSpa sessions through the Office of Health Promotion’s website.

Late-night pancakes at Schine

Orange After Dark’s Pancake Breakfast Stressbuster is Dec. 9 from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. in Schine Dining. The event will offer free breakfast food as well as activities such as therapy dogs and inflatables.

To reduce stress during finals week, Proud recommends managing your time well can help students leave room for the things they enjoy. She also emphasized the importance of getting enough sleep and eating well to avoid getting sick.

“Just remember that grades aren’t everything and your worth is much more than a number on the 4.0 scale,” she said.

Published on December 3, 2018 at 10:49 pm