Students share ways to destress during finals.
Written by Evelio Castillo, Photos by Edith Manfred
Coming into Week 8, SCAD students are starting to feel the pressure of final projects, portfolios, and other art pieces. It may all seem like a quarterly dread and an impossible summit. But fret not! There are ways to destress, manage and overcome the next few weeks. Here are some students’ responses to finals week.
“Finals can be a mixed bag, but it’s important to know that it will end, and there is a break at the end,” said Will Bergbauer, a first-year SCAD student. He emphasized the break we get after each quarter is our constant, and we should use it as a time to decompress. For him, recentering before starting finals week is key to staying on top of every assignment and activity. “Start early. Re-read the syllabus and plan for the upcoming weeks,” said Bergbauer.
Ashley Ben-Davin, a second-year SCAD student explains how finals week places a lot of stress on her. But she doesn’t let that deter her from succeeding. “Staying healthy and making work more enjoyable makes finals manageable for me,” said Ben-Davin. Getting enough sleep, drinking water, and eating more fruits, keep anxiety and stress at bay for her as well. For Ben-Davin, making work enjoyable includes listening to music while working, giving herself the best space to work, and rewarding herself for hitting important checkpoints during finals.
I love to take breaks as a way to gain inspiration. I visit art galleries, see what my peers are creating, and take frequent breaks to reflect on my process. This advice, from our peers, makes not just finals achievable, but huge for our growth and work ethic. Remember to tackle finals week your way and good luck bees! You got this!
