EDITORIAL: FINALS

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Enjoying the little things during finals makes life more bearable

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With finals and paper deadlines almost at hand, the last week of class has traditionally been one of the more stressful periods of the academic year. With that in mind, the members of the Thresher staff want to offer their advice on how to make life more bearable during the next few days.

* If any student has not been to the CoffeeHouse much, now's the time to do so. It's got great cookies as well as potent coffee.

* The colleges and various student organizations offer numerous study breaks during finals, and students should take advantage of the free food they offer. Besides, looking at the same material for long periods of time is not the most effective way to study. Everyone needs to take breaks, especially students who have short attention spans.

* For those who feel they don't have time to attend many of the study breaks, the one study break that they should definitely attend is the one sponsored by President Malcolm Gillis and Vice President for Student Affairs Zenaido Camacho. In past semesters, the food choices there have been superb.

* People who are hungry for late-night snacks should take advantage of Sammy's Late Nite. Those who are tired of pizza don't have to waste time driving off campus for food since Sammy's is open until midnight most of the week.

* Sleep is important. Students need to balance their fear of failing a test with the need for sleep. They also need to remember that lack of sleep, coupled with lack of food, greatly increases the likelihood that they will become ill the day of the test.

* Studies have shown that people who listen to classical music while studying do better than people who listen to rock music. This might be worth remembering while studying. It can be especially useful as an excuse for turning off one's roommate's high-decibal punk metal music.

* Finally, people should remember that they could always give up and drop out of school. Finals would not, in this instance, cause you any stress at all.

This item appeared in the Opinion section of the April 26, 1996 issue.

Copyright © 1996 The Rice Thresher. All Rights Reserved.
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