“Dead Week” is the name given to the week before finals, and this year it falls May 2-6. Starting next week, impending finals, studying and the end of the semester will have students anxious and on edge.
Student Life hopes to lessen some of that anxiety through events that encourage relaxation and stress management.
According to the coordinator of student activities, Haley Russ, there are five events being held during Dead Week aimed at helping students meet their health-related needs, beginning with a traditional Monday night event on May 2: game night in The Lion’s Byte from 8-10 p.m.
On Wednesday, May 4, Finals Fuel will serve students a free meal from 8-10 p.m. in The Roaring Fork.
“You don’t have to live on campus,” Russ said. “Any student can come by and get food. We do swipe in, but it doesn’t count for like a meal swipe or anything. We are serving breakfast burritos.”
A series of calming activities called Destress will take place on Thursday, May 5. Students can join a dodgeball tournament, smash plates and pet some therapy dogs from 4-7 p.m. in the Rec Center.
Dead Week will conclude with Mountain Lion Mania and Free Money Game Show on Friday, May 6. The free carnival will take over the University Center from 7-9 p.m. Student Life will provide a fair food feast and a variety of carnival activities for attendees to take part in.
Free Money Game Show will take place following the karaoke, games and inflatables offered at the Mania event. According to Mountain Lion Connect, the student who gets the most points in this trivia game will win cash. This will take place from 9-10 p.m. in Berger Hall.
Russ believes that all of these events will motivate students and promote wellness. “We like to do a lot of programming because it does allow for some more destress and relief from studying but also incentives to make it through the week,” she said.
Director of Student Engagement Stephen Cucchiara encourages students to visit the Student Life Lounge outside of these events. Clyde’s Cupboard is also available in this space during the next few weeks.
Students can also treat the Student Life Lounge as a finals prep-friendly spot. “We really try to create a quiet environment in the Student Life Lounge during that time,” Cucchiara said.
Russ shared advice for those experiencing finals stress: Eating, drinking water and being kind to oneself are acts of great importance.
For more information and announcements regarding Dead Week, students can follow Student Life on Instagram and Twitter.