The end of the semester is here, and just as students are studying for finals, various spots on campus, including the Academic Support and Access Center, Bender Library and the Davenport Coffee Lounge, are holding events to help students cope with the stress of exams.
Academic Help
The Academic Support and Access Center hosted a finals prep workshop Dec. 2. that included tips on getting organized before finals, creating a study plan and study guides, making the most out of review sessions and managing stress during finals week.
According to Nicole Schoeb, interim manager of Disability Services at the Academic Support and Access Center, the office has various resources available to help students succeed such as a writing lab, a tutoring center and the opportunity to meet with counselors for academic support.
Schoeb’s top advice for students during finals is to try and get seven to eight hours of sleep each night, eat well, drink enough water and simply try the best they can on their exams.
“Students can stop by for some tips and study strategies for finals, and we also have things we are preparing for next semester as well, so that when students come back, they can feel like they can jump right into the semester,” Schoeb said.
Caffeine Boosts
To give students a study break during finals week, the library will host its “Final Perk,” called the “Final Perk: The Final Lap” this semester tonight. The American University Student Government, the Alumni Association, American University Student Activities and the Residence Hall Association are among several groups co-sponsoring the event from 7-8:30 p.m. at the Mudbox cafe in Bender Library, according to Michelle Eller, Circulation Services Specialist at the library.
“This year, the theme is called the Final Lap. There are going to be stations set up around the library where different associations will be giving out free things and baked goods, drinks and coffee,” Eller said. “The library is also open 24/7 hours for finals week, and we will close only after finals, at 9 p.m. on Dec. 15.”
The Davenport Lounge will also be offering a final exam week special to help students de-stress, according to School of Communication senior Chloe Chalakani who worked in the Davenport Lounge.
“The Davenport is doing its ‘free shot day,’ where you get a free shot when you purchase a beverage. Also, in conjunction with Student Government, during finals week, we are offering 25 percent off of the ‘tea of the day,’ Chalakani said.
The special deal, called Finals Tea Time, will take place from Dec. 7-11, while “free shot day” is on Dec. 9, Chalakani said.
The Primal Scream
On Sunday night, students celebrated the start of finals with an AU tradition: the primal scream. Organized this year by Tori Gilkeson, a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences, this event involves groups of students screaming on the quad at the stroke minute before the first day of finals.
“People start arriving five to ten minutes before midnight and then at 11:59 p.m., we all start screaming and we just scream for a solid minute, and we stop at midnight, as it hits the morning when finals begin. It is symbolic because it is the last minute before the day of the first final,” Gilkeson said.
According to Gilkeson, who serves as vice president of the United Methodist Student Association, the tradition of the primal scream was revived in 2011 by a member of the Methodist community and since then has been led by a Methodist. Gilkeson always heard of the event as being an ancient tradition but believes that it disappeared for some time until it was brought back a few years ago.
Gilkeson sees the scream as a way for students to unite and let go of their built-up stress and gain confidence to take on the approaching exams.
“You’re letting out all of your emotions, all your anger and frustration at finals, and letting out this last burst of a very loud scream that is everyone together,” Gilkeson said. “Then we can all just go into finals feeling a little bit better about ourselves because we all just let it out for a minute.”
