With finals only two weeks away, students are starting to jam the Marriott Library. Gone are the days when study rooms were up for grabs and YouTube videos streamed in the womb chairs on the second floor. It’s down to business, and it seems everything is running at a faster pace.
Although the stress level on campus feels higher than in the weeks leading up to finals, there’s also a good measure of excitement leading up to summer. For those who aren’t enrolling in intensive summer semester classes, that is.
Even those who are in for a break from classes know they’re not quite out of the woods. Many students are looking for summer jobs.
Jenny Jones, a senior in international studies, said she is not ready for the coming weeks, but she is excited for summer.
“Who’s ever ready for finals?” she asked. “It’s always overwhelming.”
Even one class can add up to a lot of stress. One of Jones’ instructors is requiring all students to submit a final project and take an exam.
That’s not all Jones is dealing with. She’s working triple duty studying for finals, trying to nail down a summer job and preparing to study abroad in Korea next semester.
“I’m going to have to try and do it at the same time, which is not fun,” Jones said.
Even though she has big plans for her semester abroad, there are still many unknowns for the summer. Getting a job is something she fears will be harder because she is taking off this fall.
“[Finding a job is] always hard to do at the end of the semester, but you have to,” Jones said.
Jones is excited for a less stressful experience in Korea.
“I can’t wait to go back, because the school is so much easier there,” Jones said. “The language program there is six credits alone. You end up only having to take three classes.”
Stefanie Leavitt, a senior in French minoring in comparative literature and cultural studies, is also already thinking about summer employment.
“[I want] to get out of the job I’m currently in,” Leavitt said. “I do technical support in a call center in French and English. I’ve been in the call center environment for a while, and I’m looking to better things.”
Her finals schedule is less cramped.
“I could have finished last fall, so it’s pretty much one class to complete my minor that I’m taking this semester,” she said.
Tyler Pratt, an undeclared sophomore, also said he feels like he has things under control, but he is still stressed.
“I’m ready for it to be over,” he said. “I don’t think it’s going to be too terrible. Most of the classes aren’t comprehensive finals, which helps.”