Tips and resources for Commuters During Finals Week
Parents,
Here is some advice to share with students for how they should approach finals week. All the tips below are aimed at helping students stay focused on finals, and being as prepared as possible, so the most important thing on their minds is that next big exam.
Keep everything with you--Make sure you have all the supplies you'll need to for exams. It's best to pack all your "school supplies" (pens, pencils, notecards, highlighters, and blue books) in your bag before your first exam, and leave them in there. Just switch out the books you need.
Pack a bag--Pack a duffle bag with your workout gear, a change of clothes, your MP3 player, a book, and anything else you might need for working out or taking a few minutes to regroup during gaps between finals (lockers are also available to commuters for free--see the commuter website at the link below).
Pick a spot--Find a place on campus that you enjoy--a certain corner in the library, a couch in the Campus Center, or perhaps even the place where you do workstudy--find a place to centralize yourself, and go back there between finals. It will make you feel more relaxed and focused.
Don't go home (even if you live close by)--Home is often full of distractions, such as your TV, bed, and computer. If you have a four-hour break between finals, make a plan for how you'll use it wisely on campus. Get something nutritious to eat, go work out, polish up that paper that's due later. Going home during finals kills your academic momentum. Avoid it, if you can (this strategy also saves on gas, so holiday dollars can stretch a bit further).
Resources for Commuters During Finals Week--
Commuters are always welcome to take advantage of the many free benefits provided to them by Commuter Services, but during finals week, these resources are even more vital. At the Pit Stop, a special area of the Campus Center devoted to commuters, students can store packed lunches in the fridge, have access to a microwave and sink, or just sit and relax.
For more information about Commuter Services and the Pit Stop, click here.
