As the last weeks of classes come to an end, students can feel the pressure of finals descending upon them. However, in the chaos and stress of all the final papers and exams, Gusties need not fear. Students can always go to the Wellbeing Center for support and can look forward to stress relieving events hosted by campus organizations.

Director of Wellbeing Meghan Krause ’00 encourages students to view finals in a more positive light.

“Stress is unavoidable, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t manageable.”—Meghan Krause

“This is the opportunity to demonstrate what you’ve learned during the course of a semester, the occasion to celebrate a shared musical experience, the culminating paper that encompasses your point of view about a subject you’ve been fortunate to devote several months to exploring, and more. This time of finals is what you have been preparing for; instead of approaching it with anxiousness or fear, I encourage you to reconsider just how great it is that you get to showcase your insights and talents,” Krause said.

Even if all students did see finals this way, it would not eliminate the stress the end of the semester brings.

“Stress is unavoidable, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t manageable. By taking care of your body and mind, being mindful about the things in your life that cause anxiety and stress, and training yourself to cope with stressful situations, you can avoid many of the negative side effects. Stress management can be accomplished in so many ways—and often the smallest acts have the biggest impact,” Krause said.

In addition to support from the Wellbeing Center, many Gustavus organizations host activities this time of year geared toward relieving some of the pressure of finals.

One of the most well-known and popular of these activities is Midnight Express, sponsored by the Peer Assistants and aided by other organizations. It’s a night of free food and entertainment. Senior Peer Assistant Matt Wagle explained the purpose of the bi-annual event.

“Students are encouraged to attend in order to get their mind off of school, stress, and studies and focus on having fun for a few hours, and getting their share of music and food,” Wagle said.

As tradition would have it, Midnight Express will be held the night before finals beginning at 10 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 14 in the caf.

“It has always been a popular event on campus, if for no other reason than the free food. I’d encourage everyone who is remotely interested, that hasn’t attended, to attend it is a good time to relax, socialize, and if you’re thinking of going, get there early,” Wagle said

Another great activity is Winter Therapy Dogs hosted by Pound Pals where students can come to play with dogs and relax. Senior Pound Pals leader Sarah Johnson explained the benefits of the event.

“Various campus organizations have brought therapy dogs to Gustavus for students to interact with during finals week to help relieve stress. Therapy dogs are dogs that are trained to provide psychological or physiological therapy to individuals other than their handlers.  They are basically trained to love and socialize with people,” Johnson said.

This year, Winter Therapy Dogs will be held from 4-7 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 12 in the Dive.

“Students are encouraged to attend in order to get their mind off of school, stress, and studies and focus on having fun for a few hours.”—Matt Wagle

Along with these popular activities, Gustavus also offers other stress relieving solutions like fitness classes in Lund, the relaxation room in the library, audio tools found on the Gustavus website, Meditation on Tuedays, and students can always pick up a stress ball from the Wellbeing Center.

For more information on reducing stress and the finals activities visit the Wellbeing Center or the Gustavus website.

-Rachael Manser