Finals Week brings a different kind of atmosphere to the University. The campus is empty, but local coffee houses are full as students prepare for their tests.
While it is common knowledge that eating right and sleeping well are good ways to stay healthy and alert, some students find refuge in caffeine and alcohol during the stressful end of the term.
Annie Dochnahl, instructor and health educator at the Student Health Center’s Health Education Program, said although students should practice healthy habits — such as exercising regularly — during Finals Week, it is not extraordinary if other behaviors surface.
“With all stress management there’s a pro-active element and a panic element,” she said, adding that the panic element causes students to stress out and reach for less healthy alternatives to relieve tension, such as caffeine and alcohol.
“Students want as much caffeine as possible during finals,” said Kamala William, assistant store manager of Starbucks on 13th Street.
William said the store is especially busy at night during this time of year, which is why the staff sometimes works later shifts than usual.
“People come earlier and stay longer, right up until closing,” she said, adding that popular drinks are chai, mochas and eggnog lattes.
“I drink a lot of coffee during finals,” said Rene Shaw, a senior exercise and movement science major, “but I try to relax, too, because I realize it’s not the end of the world.”
Shaw said she had extreme test anxiety her freshman year, but her worries have decreased with time.
“I try to think about something else for a couple hours after a test before I start studying for my next one,” she said.
Grant Leffler, a sophomore Spanish and general science major, also said he tries to remain calm while studying.
“I try to relax the night before a final and not get too psyched out,” he said.
Leffler said although he generally likes to eat more around finals time, he’s not nervous about his upcoming tests because he’s already begun to prepare.
Once the studying has paid off and the tests are done, local Eugene bars often see an increase in student business. Dan Geyer, bar manager at Rennie’s Landing on Kincaid Street, said business builds up throughout Finals Week.
“A few are done early and come in on Tuesday night, but by Wednesday and Thursday the crowds start to get bigger,” he said. “It’s like the weekend comes early.”
Geyer said the most noticeable trend among students during finals is the time of day they come in.
“Students will start to come in at 11 a.m. after their tests,” he said, adding that the students are usually a happy crowd and ready to celebrate the end of the term. The student crowd is usually a bit smaller the week before finals, but not significantly so, Geyer said.
“Sometimes we get groups of graduate students during Dead Week who don’t have any finals,” he said.
Students, however, are not the only ones who feel the effects of Finals Week stress. Kellee Weinhold, visiting assistant professor of journalism and communication, said she also gets stressed when her students are struggling.
“Whenever you’re involved with students, it’s very hard not to get caught up in what they’re doing,” she said.
When Weinhold’s work makes her stressed, she said she likes to garden and remind herself to keep her thoughts in perspective, and she encourages her students to do the same.
“I never like to see students having a hard time,” she said, adding that she tries to remind them to stay positive and be realistic about their goals.
“One of the best things about a term is that is ends,” she said.