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Here Comes Finals Week at JSOM
Across campus at The University of Texas at Dallas, students are preparing for their Spring 2024 finals. May 3, the last day of classes, marks the approaching end of the semester and those last chances to make the grade. For management students at JSOM, this could mean stress levels are high.
Luckily for anxious students, the dedicated staff at JSOM aims to help make the week before finals feel a little lighter with Stress Less With JSOM. These stress-less events have taken over the JSOM commons in the week before finals for four semesters strong.
Courtney Graves, director of undergraduate student services and primary planner of the Stress Less With JSOM events, said the purpose of the events was to get students to take a breather and slow down.
“We want them to enjoy themselves and get creative,” she said. “Do something that is more for fun and for themselves so they can take a deep breath before they go into their finals. We don’t want them to stress out.”
Angela Granger, the undergraduate program specialist, said, “It also allows for them to have the opportunity to get to know each other in a more relaxed environment. Just between exams and between study breaks. I’ve seen the connections made.”
Unique Ways to Destress on Campus During Finals Week
This semester, Stress Less With JSOM started with a kickoff event on April 30. A food truck came to the JSOM courtyard, and students enjoyed boba tea. Indoor and outdoor games were readily available for students to play and have fun.
Next up, on May 1 and 2, Stress Less With JSOM brought mindful breathing sticks and rock painting to the JSOM commons.
With rock painting, students were provided a stone and colors with which to decorate it. They could take their creation home or leave it on campus to inspire others.
“Our students are really creative,” Graves said.
Mindful breathing sticks, which were pipe cleaners that students decorated with beads, could be used as a tool for practicing mindfulness or twisted into a fun bracelet.
Coloring pages and beads for friendship bracelets were also available both days.
A Wall of Celebration Outside the Undergraduate Lounge
In past semesters, the Stress Less With JSOM events have included a motivational wall. Graves and Granger decided to change it up this year. Each windowpane of the Undergraduate Lounge was set up for students to share what they were looking forward to after exams were over.
“One will be ‘what are you doing this summer?’ Another will be ‘where’s your internship?’ So students can share and see what other students are up to,” Graves said. “So it’s more of a tooting their own horn as well as getting some motivation.”
Best Wishes to JSOM Students as They Study
Exams officially conclude on May 10, and then students are free to pursue summer plans. Stress Less With JSOM made for a fun, expressive last hurrah before students sat down to take their exams.
