There are two feelings that come after taking an exam. The first is a sickly feeling that starts down in the gut and slowly rises into the chest. This feeling is paired with sweaty palms, tired eyes and a desire for sleep.
The second feeling, however, is one of success. This feeling includes happy, deep sighs and relief of having finished a class. But the only way you’re going to get that peaceful feeling is if you study. Occupy Halle and Snack & Study are available to help you do just that without over-stressing yourself.
Snack & Study is one of the major events put on by Campus Life. It will take place April 25 from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. in the Student Center Grand Ballroom.
According to Bily Simmons of Campus Life, “Snack & Study is one we get really uppity about, because we only have one per semester and we spend a lot of money on it.”
Snack & Study is not only an opportunity for students to munch on free food while hitting the books, but there are also giveaways. Students also can study in groups or alone while getting massages.
“We try to do as much as we possibly can to, like give students a plethora of options,” Simmons said.
As part of giving students options, Campus Life also tries new things.
“[Winter 2011] we tried out oxygen bar…This time we’re scraping some of those things, we didn’t like how the oxygen bar worked out and stuff like that. We got feedback from students, so we’re going to take those into account… We just kind of fine tune it as we go.”
Another program that changes as it goes is Occupy Halle, formally known as Club Halle. Students had an opportunity to vote for the name of the event via an online poll on their my.emich.edu account.
“Occupy Halle might not stick, because it was [based off something from] this year, but we wanted to make it new,” Holly Knick, director of Student Relations said.
Occupy Halle kicked off yesterday at 10 p.m. The library will remain open until midnight on Friday. Saturday, Occupy Halle will be between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m., then starting at noon on Sunday the library be open until 8 p.m. on Friday, April 27.
For those students who still have finals on Monday April 30, Occupy Halle will continue on Saturday April 28 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., then Sunday April 29 at noon until 10 p.m. on Monday.
Students will need their student ID card to get in the building between midnight and 7:30 a.m.
While studying at the library, students can get refreshments at the Eagle Café during its extended hours.
On April 20 it will be open until 11 p.m. and on April 21 until 7 p.m. From April 22 – 26, the Eagle Café will remain open until 2 a.m.
Part of Occupy Halle is activities to help students calm down between cramming. One of these activities is brought by the Music Therapy Student Association.
On April 19 from 8 – 9 p.m. in room 302 of Halle, students have the opportunity to practice breathing exercises while listening to calming music.
For students who need a little more than deep breathing to help them focus, Sigma Delta Tau is hosting facilitated study sessions. These will take place today in Halle auditorium and April 24 in room 300 from 6 – 9 p.m.
Facilitators will be ensuring students are focusing on studying for 45-minute periods with 10-minute breaks in between.
Perhaps your problem isn’t that you need to study more, rather you need help calming down. This might especially be the case if you sit with a hunched back at a study desk for hours on end.
On April 24, from 9 – 11 a.m. in room 320 of Halle, students can partake in a yoga class.
Another important part of preparing for a final is making sure you eat a healthy breakfast. Yesterday, RHA and the Student Government provided a free continental breakfast. Students were able to enjoy free bagels, muffins, coffeecake and fresh fruit.
As you head off to your finals, make sure to bring the green book and pen you picked up at the kickoff to Occupy Halle. Really, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t walk out of your finals without that feeling of success.
