Louisa Chiriboga ’29
Copy Editor
Yes, I know that this article’s title will frustrate some students, and I think that is valid. The last week of the semester undoubtedly stresses students out with meeting deadlines, essay submissions, working on projects, studying for tests, and worrying about what their final gradebook will look like. I am the first to admit that I have cried more than a few times in the Nucleus at 1 a.m. over a 12-page paper I procrastinated on a little bit too much. However, if you embrace the inevitability of stress – and, most importantly, remember that everyone around you is just as stressed as you are – finals week is an opportunity to make some of the best memories of the semester.
First, classes are not in session during finals week, nor are clubs. Of course, you are intended to use that time to study and complete assignments; however, it is a special time because your whole day is at your disposal without commitments – you are welcome to use your day however you would like. It is the perfect chance to trek all the way to Iron & Kin in the village to write your final paper for Professor Prakas’s Shakespeare: Tragedies and Romances course while indulging in the coffee shop’s Peaceful latte without having to worry about being late for your next class. Additionally, you can use the lack of given structure to create the structure you want, free of the obligations of set commitments. You could create blocks of studying at the library, then migrate to the Motley, and then perhaps gather with your friends for an outside study session.
Another perk for finals week is that, in the words of fellow TSV copy editor Phoebe Schwab, “Scripps administration is doing everything that they can to make sure that you don’t kill yourself.” This means that they are throwing every eccentric experience at you that they can dream up: therapy dogs on campus? Yes. Midnight breakfast and karaoke in SCORE at 9 p.m. where you can do a messy rendition of “Say No to This” from Hamilton with your roommate? Of course! Free pizza in Honnold Mudd Library? You know it! The world is your oyster! Just don’t be a liability to Scripps!
I may be biased as a Denison Library employee, but from all the odd events occurring on campus, my favorite has to be their classic-themed late-night study halls. While Denison’s typical hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays, their staff works overtime to keep the library open till midnight, and on the weekend too!
Fall semester finals week at Denison is Hogwarts-themed, perfect for the cold, wintery attitude on campus. Through a partnership with Scripps Associated Students (SAS), students studying at Denison at night receive snacks from a fully-stocked trolley cart every few hours while witchy music plays in the background. Last year, there was a Triwizard Tournament-themed raffle for students to win items by placing their names into a Goblet of Fire, and many students took lustful pictures with a cardboard cutout of Robert Pattinson as Cedric Diggory. In the spring, Denison transforms into the Land of Oz in the spirit of The Wizard of Oz, complete with a Yellow Brick Road leading down the lane of alcoves, ruby slipper-clad feet popping out of the fireplace hearth in the Holbein Room. Again, snacks are provided. Denison Library is never busier, with hordes of students coming with their friends to claim tables in this environment that makes studying pretty fun.
More so, at least in my experience, the employment opportunities on campus are rampant during finals season. You don’t have to work around your class schedule to determine your hours, which means you can work much more. Last spring, I worked the late-night shifts at Denison and prepared items for Scripps Scrapps’s annual fall sale. It was glorious.
Because you have the whole day to use how you need, you have a little more freedom for what to do on a weeknight. If you don’t have an essay due at midnight that night or a test the next day, you can watch a movie with friends, have a wine night, or indulge in a long group dinner. Remember, everyone else is stressed too, which I think adds to the fun. One of my favorite memories from freshman year was walking over to Margaret Fowler Garden, which was left unlocked late at night, and praying in the chapel with my friends for the effort we dedicatedwere dedicating to our studies during finals week to produce good results.
What all of these aspects of finals week have in common is community. I have never felt closer to the people around me than during finals week. Call me sappy, but the shared stress and high stakes of the time cultivate a sense of understanding, empathy, and intimacy. Crying at 12:30 a.m. because you believe you are going to fail your test the next day after studying for hours, surrounded by your six closest friends, does wonders for the soul, actually.
