Study Breaks
With sleep hours running low and anxiety levels running high, finals season is a stressful time for Vanderbilt and most students across the country. Because of the academic rigor and pressure that peaks during finals season at Vanderbilt, many of our students often question why or how our school deserves a high, arbitrary rank in Princeton Review’s “happiest students” list. Multiple factors such as surrounding city, weather, and teacher satisfaction are accounted for in this ranking; however, I think that the effort that Vanderbilt administration puts into holding de-stressing events for its students during finals season is what justifies this ranking the most.
During finals season at the end of each semester, Vanderbilt Programming Board (VPB) holds a Mega Stress Fest. This event offers free food, messages, and more, and this event is a really nice attempt by administration to de-stress students when they need it the most.
Recently, VPB brought award-winning artist, JoJo, to campus. For an hour, she graced our presence with throwback tunes such as “Leave (Get Out)” and “Too Little Too Late” and answered questions that ranged from “what her favorite ice cream flavor is” to “what she thinks about the music industry.” Also, tickets were only $5! It was definitely worth procrastinating on my homework and finals studying for.
In addition to these events, many student organizations such as the Melodores and various other performing arts groups hold end of the year shows. Again, they are great because they offer ways to de-stress and forget about school work for just a little while.
Wish me luck on finals,
-Jeff Yung