No sleep, crowded libraries, empty coffee cups and untold numbers of students on Facebook at all hours of the night. Welcome — yes, already — to midterms, where the stress is high and need for achievement even higher.
But it doesn’t have to be this way. As students stuck in the same situation, we’ve come up with some excellent de-stressors to help you survive the jam-packed week. Sure, learning the material is important, but it is much easier to learn when you are relaxed.
The first, and perhaps our favorite, is that it is Beer Week statewide in Arizona. If you are of age, help out your local economy and enjoy yourself at the same time. The more we drop on beer, the higher the demand is. This means jobs will open up. That probably got the attention of all those graduating this semester. Care about your future? Take a study break and head to the bar. There’s no leap in that logic, right? And if you’re underage, you can do your part by donating money to those of age.
If drinking isn’t quite your thing, there are several authentic fairs you can visit. There are Scottish and Japanese cultural fairs hitting the Valley this weekend. Want to travel abroad but don’t have the money? Make sure you head to these fairs for culture and food. We can’t forget about the Arizona Renaissance Festival either. You can get henna tattoos and watch medieval knights joust. Or you could be a trooper and do all three. You could wear a kilt and eat Japanese food while watching jousting.
Perhaps these things are too adventurous for you. There is always the alternative of Facebook. After all, beer and festivals can’t compare at all to posting the latest YouTube video of cats in hats falling asleep. We know nobody needs encouragement to log in, but we’re just reminding you it’s there for you.
If you’re feeling nostalgic, you can always start a lemonade stand. With a little bit of work, you could save up to buy Tempe’s Centerpoint towers next time they go up for sale (it won’t be long). We know they were just bought, but these deals are known for falling through. Who’s to say it won’t happen again? Charge a quarter a cup and you’ll be in business.
If worse comes to worse and none of these things relax you, you could catch the flu. It’s not hard to come across on campus, and University officials have allowed for extended absences to stop it from spreading. In the downtime, you can rest and catch up on “Mad Men.” There’s something about dashing businessmen and gorgeous secretaries that make the show irresistible. Maybe it’s the fact that we wish we were allowed to drink Scotch at work.
You now have no excuse to be stressed during midterms. In fact, should you take all of our suggestions to heart, it could be the most fun you’ve ever had. When you show up to study in the morning you’ll be hungover, cultured, rich and sick. What more could you want?
