De-Stress Week: Make Studying Fun

Veronica Reyes, staff writer

As the cold winter breeze shakes the trees at PVCC, students are preparing for final exams. Tensions are rising as students and faculty brace themselves for finals. However, to alleviate the stress and anxiety of final exams and the end of the grading period, the PVCC Student Government Association is hosting De-Stress Week: five days of fun activities to take their minds off tests.

The PVCC SGA is hosting De-Stress week with many popular and new events to prepare students for finals.

SGA’s Director of Events Elizabeth Phan stated, “We saw that students need to have a de-stress so that students could relax before their exams and perform better. We always get into the cycle of studying last minute for hours on end without a break. But taking a break can actually help more than you think!”

From Monday, Dec. 2 to Friday, Dec. 6, students will be able to participate in a variety of stress-relieving activities during their hours of studying.

Monday will have arts and crafts and an encouragement wall. Phan said, “We hope that plenty of students come out to fill the wall with colorful sticky notes of encouragement for each other.” This will start the week off with inspiring words and motivation for the fun activities to follow.

Exercise is often considered a good stress reliever and allows students to concentrate on something else besides lecture notes and PowerPoints.

Tuesday’s Aerobics Class will be taught in the Bolick Student Center from 12-1 p.m. On Wednesday, a yoga class will be held in the Retreat. 

President of SGA Jacob Laxton said, “Students specifically requested yoga and De-Stress exercises for the event. We worked hard to find a yoga instructor and gym teacher that could properly teach the classes.”

Laxton said, “I personally can’t wait for the De-Stress Exercises. They will definitely help me relieve some stress.”

On Thursday, students can warm-up for their study sessions at the hot chocolate, tea, and coffee bar. When students attend any of these events, they can participate in a raffle.

Winners will be picked on Friday. Students are eligible to win “a PVCC hoodie, a Bath & Body Works gift card, and spa certificates as prizes,” stated Phan. 

After three weeks of planning and organization, SGA is ready for De-Stress week. Elizabeth Phan said, “I found that the most enjoyable part of planning the event was seeing the look of excitement on people’s faces. Everyone was so tired or down because of assignments and exams but if de-stress week can encourage students to keep going, then I think I did a good job.”

Laxton stated, “Elizabeth has done a great job preparing for DeStress Week. I would argue that the Director of Events is one of the most important positions within the SGA. Elizabeth has fully maximized her potential in this position.”

SGA is interested in PVCC students’ experience on campus, helping them to have their voice heard.

If students are interested in this type of work, Laxton said, “Yes, we are looking for students who want to make a difference within their school community. SGA isn’t all about events — we advocate for PVCC’s students at the administrative level. We also host educational activities that benefit the student body.”

De-Stress week is just one way SGA helps students with their academic success and improve their experiences at PVCC. Students are welcome to all the free events happening at PVCC before finals. 

Phan encouraged students saying, “Please take advantage of taking care of your mental health and take a break. As Director of Events, I hope De-stress week helps students’ recharge.”

Before the semester ends, students are invited to have fun and de-stress as they make their way to academic success.