Daniel Sweat
Features Editor

With finals just around the corner, you’re probably wondering how you’re going to survive. By now, you’re spending significantly more time at the library than during those carefree days at the beginning of the semester. But just because the crushing pressure of academia is slowly closing around you and all your friends, that doesn’t mean it’s all bad! Here’s a few ways you can de-stress before next week.

1) Drink more water. That’s right; a lot of people neglect proper hydration habits when they’re sequestered in the library and trying to study. Don’t let dehydration get to you. Fill up your preferred water receptacle before tackling that cram session.

2) Fourth meal. Let’s be honest. Around this point in the year, you’re probably out of flex, but you’ve still got a boat load of useless meal swipes. Well, lucky for you, there’s this thing called fourth meal. If you’ve ever wanted to see the entire student body try to fit into Lowry and/or Kittredge, just head over around midnight and get ready to see literally every person you’ve met at the College. Note: it takes two swipes to get into fourth meal, but at this point, who heckin’ cares? Pro tip: give your homeboy Al a little wink, and he might just slip you a few chicken nuggets on the way in #ThankYouBasedAl.

3) Smoke: the Burger Joint is a great place to grab a bite if you’re looking to get away from campus for a little bit.

4) Therapy Dogs. Every once in a while, there will be some therapy dogs posted up either outside of Lowry or just inside the entrance. Be on the lookout. Nothing alleviates pre-test jitters like petting a good ole pup. Make sure you ask if you can pet it first, though. Don’t want to scare those little wolves, y’know.

5) The Underground. If you’re reading this on Friday, you’ve come just in time. Indeed, the UG will host a Winter Wonderland dance party tonight, starting at 11 p.m. Wear your favorite Christmas sweater and jam out with all your friends!

6) The actual underground. Look, all I’m saying is bears hibernate all the time, and they seem super chilled out. What’s preventing us from digging a little cave and hanging out for a bit? Make a fun bonding session out of it. Nothing brings two people closer together than being trapped underground.

7) Take a gosh darn nap. Got a spare hour between classes? Feeling a lot dumber this time of year? It’s probably because you haven’t been sleeping enough. Sleep is important not only for your physical well-being but also for your mental health. Nothing’s more embarrassing than having a nervous breakdown during your final exam. So get some well-deserved shut-eye before you get back out there to hit the books.