How Students are Keeping it Together as the Semester Ends

As the school year comes to an end students are trying their best to finish up all their assignments and prepare for the oncoming exams. Doing all this work along with the pressure to do as well as possible can cause a lot of stress, so what are students doing to clear their minds in the midst of such a hectic time? 

“Sometimes I do facemasks and have them on while I do school work,” said St. Thomas student Taylor Carr

Sometimes it can be hard to find big chunks of free time while trying to get all the necessary work done so students will try to do little things to help de-stress. This can be things like lighting a nice scented candle or putting some essential oils in a diffuser to passively enhance the smell and feel of the room while doing work. Some will do facemasks to exfoliate or clear their pores, something that does its magic without having to take a break from studying. Students also find it helpful to put in headphones and listen to music while working as a way to calm their nerves. 

Although some days can be packed full of schoolwork most days students can find a while to fully take their mind off school. 

“I like to take baths,” said Carr

Carr likes to run a warm bath, sometimes throwing in a bath bomb for added relaxation, and to sit back and either listen to some of her favorite songs or to watch a movie or TV show.

“Usually I try to get on the game for a while every night,” said university student Mike Gorham “it’s fun and it gives me a chance to catch up with my friends.” 

Gorham likes to play games like Fortnite or Overwatch, both these games have a multiplayer aspect and allow him to play along with his friends. But even when they aren’t playing the same game Gorham and his friends still usually get together in an online chat and talk about their days or relevant topics, anything to take their mind off the stress that comes with the end of the semester. 

“Another thing I try to do every day is working out,” said Gorham

This gives him an opportunity to get out some of his energy and allows him to focus more intensely when he sits down to do his schoolwork. Setting up a time to work out every day also helps to get him in a routine which can be helpful as it comes to crunch time in the semester. Another reason he works out is to better himself and to improve his self-confidence which also helps him deal with stress. 

There are also plenty of other ways for students to de-stress, many enjoy doing something creative like painting or drawing. Others like to do more physically engaging things like going for a walk to get a breath of fresh air and blowing off some energy or doing a guided yoga session. Another way people get their minds off school is by playing with their pets or simply having a nap.

The end of the year is a stressful time for students as work begins to pile up, but students are trying their best to pass all their classes without losing their minds. As Taylor Carr says it though it doesn’t take a lot to de-stress  “[I do]just like little things to feel a little bit less stressed’