Okay, I know what you are thinking. Finals week is awful. And you are absolutely right! It’s basically just hours and hours of studying alongside all the sleep deprivation, and no time to breathe or have any fun. Everyone freaks out because their grades are in jeopardy and are all hanging on to their GPAs by a thread. But even though it seems like the worst week of the year, I find there are some good parts about finals week. I know that is a weird thing to think about, but just hear me out. 

We’re All in This Together

First off, it’s kind of a bonding moment for everyone. Although you are spending hours studying at the library, everyone is studying together. Everyone is in this together. Sometimes it is actually really fun studying with friends and trying to figure out content together. Some of my favorite memories in college have come from late nights in the library studying and I know you have probably experienced this, too. You can’t tell me study sessions with friends aren’t fun sometimes! 

Food and Fun

Then there are all the free food and events. Most college campuses know how stressful finals week is and provide some fun activities to help their students destress. One of my favorites is when we have people bring their dogs on campus for students to cuddle with. Don’t forget the free food! At my school, we have a tradition where all the dining halls offer a finals breakfast for dinner and it’s amazing. There is also always free food put out at the libraries or at random pop up tents around campus. 

The End

Finally, if you think about it, you don’t actually have school anymore! Although you need to study for finals, you don’t go to class anymore.  And some classes don’t even have finals!  During my last finals week one of my classes didn’t have a final and two of my finals were optional, so I didn’t end up having to take them. I know it is different for everyone, but at least you don’t have class anymore! 

Take a step back, take a breath, and recognize that there is some good in finals week. It can be a super stressful time, but in the end, everything is going to work out. Until then, just keep trying to find the little good things that come from what seems to feel like the worst time of the year. Good luck on finals. You got this!