The most stressful time of the year is quickly approaching—Finals Week. Our students have been working hard all semester to achieve academic success, and the staff in the Office of Student Activities and Engagement (SAE) knows how daunting this week can be.
We are here to help students find balance amidst this stressful time by planning a variety of activities to encourage students to take a break with “Unwind @ Mary Wash.” Previously called “Stress Free Zone,” U@MW activities will take place the first three days of finals week in the University Center and the Fitness Center. Between studying, writing final papers, preparing for presentations, and stressing about finals, it is only in the student’s best interest to take breaks each day and do something that helps them unwind a little bit. It is impossible to completely eradicate the stress and anxiety around finals week, but by providing opportunities to de-stress outside of the classroom, we hope that students in turn will find success in the classroom.
While SAE’s priorities include helping our students get involved and have fun on campus, we also want to make sure we are supporting the academic mission of the institution. We know that the most helpful resources around finals may be the Writing Center, Speaking Center, academic tutors, professor’s office hours, and the Simpson Library, but there are many other areas of the university that are here to support students during this time as well. SAE is collaborating with a number of offices during U@MW, including Campus Recreation, Residence Life, the James Farmer Multicultural Center, and the Center for Community Engagement, among others. Unwind activities, listed below, will be available from 12pm-3pm Monday, December 10-Wednesday, December 12 on the 2nd and 3rd floors of the University Center as well as the Fitness Center. Additionally, to celebrate the rebranding of this initiative, there will be a kickoff event on Sunday, December 2 that will include a movie, hot chocolate bar, and popcorn.
Currently planned activities (& more to come!):
- Free massages
- Therapy dogs
- Free snacks
- Legos, coloring, board games, and video games available in the SAE Suite, located on the 3rd floor of the University Center
- Stress socks and giveaways (Sponsored by Residence Life)
- Crafts (Sponsored by the James Farmer Multicultural Center)
- Free fitness classes (Sponsored by Campus Recreation)
- Crafts & holiday card making for kids with long-term illnesses (Sponsored by the Center for Community Engagement)
Please note that many of these events are first-come, first-served and while supplies last.
The full schedule of Unwind activities, including the U@MW Kickoff event and free fitness classes, will be published later in November. We hope that you’ll encourage your student to take advantage of these activities and events during finals week before heading home for Winter Break!
Sandrine Sutphin, Director, Student Activities and Engagement