Photo by Brie Foster ‘27.
Students attend the de-stress event hosted by MHC’s Association of Pan-African Unity last Friday.
Brie Foster ’27
Staff Writer
It’s final exam season, which means stress is in the air at Mount Holyoke College, whether it be from projects, exams or presentations. To keep spirits as high as possible, both the College and student organizations have hosted de-stress events on campus throughout the past week.
One of these events, a casual game night hosted at the Beverly Daniel Tatum Unity Center, took place on Friday, Dec. 8, and was hosted by Mount Holyoke’s Association of Pan-African Unity. With a wide variety of card games, board games and even a Kahoot!, the APAU hoped that the event would allow attendees to “de-stress and enjoy the company of friends,” according to their event’s Instagram.
“These events are important to create space for people to relax and take their minds off of classes and assignments,” Fatou Barry ’24, a co-chair of APAU, said.
Outside of these events, however, Vice President for Student Life and Dean of Students Marcella Runell asserts that it is important to have independent coping mechanisms for exam stress. In her December “The Dean’s Corner” newsletter, Runell told students, “I know I’ve said this before, and I will continue to encourage you to take care of yourself in the ways that work best for you.”
To take care of herself during finals season, Barry shared that she likes to be proactive about her work to schedule her free time to de-stress.
“I have been trying to get ahead of my work by starting early and making sure I take mental health days. One of the things I like to do in my free time is watching movies or shows. So I just binge-watch and take naps when I can," Barry explained.
When asked how she copes with finals stress, Kit Moore ’27 shared additional ways to spend self-scheduled free time. “To deal with my finals stress, I am taking time to myself. I do this by working on my crochet projects, watching movies with friends, and listening to music while I go for a walk,” Moore said.
A U.K. non-profit, YoungMinds, suggests that to cope with exam pressure, students should reach out to friends or family, ask for help and set realistic expectations.
According to YoungMinds’ guide to exam stress, “It can be helpful to think about all the things you’ve achieved so far, in or outside of studying. … Setting aside time for the things you enjoy and are good at can really boost your self-esteem.” YoungMinds also advises against comparing yourself to others. “You might think that other people are doing better, revising more, or just not stressing out as much. But we're all different and that's okay. Remember, your friends are coping with exam stress too.”