Stress Relief Around Purdue


With finals week coming up, stress is building. Final projects, homework, and exams seem to pile up at the end of the semester. Luckily, there are lots of great ways to fight stress on Purdue’s campus and off.


Make Time for You

This is probably the most important section when it comes to destressing. When it comes down to cramming over information that you learned until 4am the night before an exam or going to bed at 12 or 1, get some sleep. It is better walk into an exam well rested than to be exhausted. Remembering one more thing while forgetting five things you would’ve known is not worth it. EAT. Make sure you don’t skip meals just to get a little bit more done on homework or a project. Skipping meals can decrease your productivity and your mood because you’re constantly hungry. If there is something that you like to do to unwind at the end of a long day, make time for it, even if it means not getting everything done exactly when you wanted. You’ll start the next day feeling less stressed and have more energy to tackle the work that you have left.

CoRec

One of the best places on campus to destress for a lot of people is the CoRec. Some people have great routines of working out all throughout the week but sometimes it feels like too much of a commitment to have that regular workout routine. During finals I like to stop by the CoRec for a little while to rock climb, jog around the track to blow off some steam, swim, relax in the hot tub, or even sit in the sauna.

Join an Intramural Team

Because I haven’t been able to regularly set a gym schedule due to the extra work at the end of the semester, I found that joining an intramural team can be a great way to exercise and have some fun. Starting the week after spring break I have been playing sand volleyball; it’s a great motivator to get some exercise. You don’t want to let down your team by not going to a game and your team can pick whatever time works best for you. Other intramural sports that are offered here at Purdue include dodgeball, softball, flag football, spike ball, golf, tennis, indoor soccer, ultimate frisbee, water basketball, and wiffleball.

Events on Campus

With the semester wrapping up, there are all sorts of activities on campus you can go see. After spring break this year we had Daymond John, from Shark Tank, come give a talk about entrepreneurship and his journey with his business. Also, all of the music programs have their end of the year concerts. These include choir, band, and orchestra; the jazz band even has an upcoming concert called Jazz on the Hill. Similarly, students can attend spring sports like baseball and softball. Finally, Purdue Convocations also has options for music and shows up through the end of the semester.

Study Outside

When the weather at Purdue permits, spring days can be gorgeous on campus. Personally I love sitting outside either on the Memorial Mall lawn, outside of the engineering buildings near the fountain, or in a hammock around campus to read, study, or take a quick nap between classes. Any time spent in the sun is relaxing and serves as a reminder that summer is just a few short weeks away. I just have to push through finals to get there!

Work with Study Groups

Working and studying for exams with friends can be a big motivation boost. While it might not be the most efficient work you do, you can gain a higher level of understanding of the material by asking your friends questions and even teaching them concepts that you understand better than they do. When you are tired of studying, you can grab some food or take a study break.

Start All of Your Assignments

Even if starting an assignment simply means writing your name and rewriting the question, start the homework. If you have an assignment started, it seems less daunting to chip away at during the week. That way when it comes to submitting things at deadlines, you have something. Doing anything to get points, even if you know you won’t get the assignment perfect, can be super helpful to your stress levels as well as your grades. Don’t stress about getting one assignment perfect if you can get most of the points on two. This mentality helped me to the point that when I would have something started, I would get more assignments completed in less time because I wouldn’t have to worry about figuring out where to start.


- Elizabeth Chattin, Mechanical Engineering
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