Finals are approaching and to help students bear the brunt of the toughest week of the year, Student Affairs and Enrollment Management, Academic Initiatives and Student Success is putting on Finals Survival Week from May 4-12.
Water Park Day, presented by the Wildcat Events Board, will kick off the week’s events. Water Park Day, also called May the 4th Be With You Water Park Day, will take place on the UA Mall with two large water slides and a farmers’ market. The first 500 students who attend the event will receive a free “Star Wars” wrist lanyard.
Free late-night pancakes with sausage and a fountain drink or coffee will be available for students at Cactus Grill, Nosh at Park Student Union and Bear Down Kitchen on May 5 from 9-11 p.m.
In addition to extending its hours on Friday and Saturday untill 1 a.m., the Student Recreation Center will be hosting a slew of events throughout the week, according to Tara Watson, assistant director of marketing and communications at the Rec Center.
“From May 5-12, we will be having free group fitness classes at 4 and 5 p.m. The 4 p.m. classes will be more aerobic type and the 5 p.m. classes will be mostly yoga classes to help students relax during this stressful time,” Watson said. “May 6, we are having a nighttime zip-lining, which will happen at the UA Challenge Course and on May 10, the Rec [Center] will be having a free 20-minute triathlon from 3 to 5 p.m.”
Related: Finals week doesn’t have to be the worst week of your life.
The Main Library will have a game night featuring therapy dogs and free snacks on May 5 from 6-8 p.m., and May 8 from 7-9 p.m.
Watson said the Rec Center will also have group study areas on May 5-13 from 6 a.m. to 12 p.m., for students who are tired of studying in the same place all the time and want to be in a different environment.
“I think that the events on campus do really help out when I am studying for finals,” said Alex Lambert, an art history sophomore. “Sometimes I will lose track of time when studying and having a fun distraction like the therapy dogs make my day so much better.”
Campus Health Service will be handing out free apples, oranges and granola bars on May 6-12 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m, according to the UA Student Affairs website.
Free massages will be available to students at the UA Bookstore on May 6 from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Students looking for a bit of immediate information can text @uafinals to 81010, and Amanda Cheromiah, the content and project manager for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management, will respond with a few tips to students who are beginning to prepare for final exams.
Cheromiah had a few tips on how to survive finals.
1. Draw pictures for students who are more visual learners
2. Take study breaks, get your friends together to “play a game of hacky sack”
3. Take part in the finals survival week activities
4. Find a good study playlist
Other academic resources on campus such as the Think Tank are having writing workshops and free tutoring for students who want extra help while studying, and the bookstore will also be handing out free blue books for students who need them for written exams.
“Best of luck to all students studying for and taking their finals in the upcoming week,” said Evan Hastings, executive vice president of the Associate Students of the University of Arizona.
“Please remember to take care of yourselves, stay healthy and know that we have been preparing this all semester and now we get to show off what we learned. Bear down!”
For more information about Finals Survival Week, visit the UA Student Affair’s website at: http://saem-aiss.arizona.edu/uafinalssurvival.
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