From therapy dogs to free hot chocolate, UC Irvine organizations look to ease the stress Anteaters face during finals week and the fall quarter and 2024 calendar year coming to an end.
Studies show that when students are stressed, their academic performance suffers. A 2023 survey by Inside Higher Ed and Student Voice found that 37% of students shared that stress impacts their academics “a great deal.” This in turn leads to university organizations providing tokens of encouragement through free snacks, testing materials and engaging events.
“Take a break for yourself, put yourself first over school,” Yena Kim told New University. She is an Associated Students of the University of California in Irvine (ASUCI) Campus Spirit Commissioner who helped host the Sweet Treats for Finals Relief event on Dec. 4. Tabled in front of Aldrich Hall on Ring Road, they gave out free hot cocoa and offered festive materials to make candy grams.
“I feel like a lot of us tend to stress ourselves out, prioritize school a lot more than our health … Honestly, I do the same thing too, but sometimes you just got to focus on yourself,” Yena said.
On the same day, the UCI School of Law also hosted a Pause for Paws Dog Therapy Visit at the Law Courtyard. During finals week — which is scheduled from Dec. 7 to Dec. 13. — more therapy dogs visited Anteaters during the two-day Destress Fest hosted by UCI Center for Student Wellness and Health Promotion on Dec. 10 and 11.
The Langson Library hosted a Stress Relief Study Break where students made buttons and drew cartoon anteaters and characters like Snoopy and Smiski on Dec. 3. . The following day, the Science Library hosted another study break event with an emphasis on paper crafts and board games.
At the UCI Student Center & Event Services, free scantrons, green books, snacks and other gifts were offered at their Materials Madness event from Dec. 2 to Dec. 4. Nora Naguib-Estefanous, a student board member of the Student Center Board of Advisors, urged students to pick up the free goodies.
“Finals are such a stressful time for students, especially transfers, so we are here for those who haven’t had the time to get food,” Naguib-Estefanous told New University. “Food is so important for your mental headspace so we are aiding in that so students don’t have to worry about purchasing food and [testing] materials.”
Students who are food insecure, or who do not have access to food, are likely to receive lower grades or fail assignments and exams. Glucose consumption is needed in order for the brain to react to stress in a healthy manner.
Exercise is also encouraged to curb stress. Certain movements can mimic how the body feels stress, like the fight or flight response. This better equips the body for those stressful situations — like exams and projects for students. UCI’s wellness center hosted Wednesday Wellness Walks throughout the quarter. The final trek, to the UCI Ecological Preserve, was on Dec. 4.
Another stress-reducing habit is meditating. At UCI, the wellness center offers Mindful Mondays, a weekly gathering for students to meditate. Because meditation usually forces one to focus on something calming, this can help with stress management and general outlook.
To accommodate students’ studying or cramming needs, both the Langson and Science libraries will be open until 2 a.m. The Gateway Study Center will be open 24/7. Anteaters must have a student ID card with them if they plan to stay in any library building past 11 p.m.
“Take a break for yourself,” Kim said. “C’s get degrees, that’s my motto.”
Cassandra Nava is a Features Intern for the fall 2024 quarter. She can be reached at cassan2@uci.edu.
Edited by Annabelle Aguirre