How to Survive Finals: Tips for a Challenging Time

By: Jane Tecu

It’s almost finals week, which can be stressful for many students. It’s hard not to feel overwhelmed as assignments pile up and the demands of studying start to take up your entire day. The pressure can even make it hard to feel motivated. Sometimes it feels like too much, and you just want to put studying off for another time. You find yourself saying, “I’ll study tonight” or “I’ll get to it tomorrow,” and before you know it, it’s the night before a final. I am no stranger to cramming for an exam during a classic all-nighter, and I can assure you it’s not the most effective way to do well. Here are some helpful tips for finals week:

1. Plan Ahead.

The more time you give yourself to absorb the information, the better you will do overall. Most finals are cumulative, meaning they reflect information from the entire course and you have to know 14 weeks of information! To reduce your stress, give yourself plenty of time to review. It’s never too early to start studying.

 2. Organize the information you need to learn for the final.

Making a timeline of the information you’ve learned is helpful. Go back to slides, homework, exams, and any other materials and review them. Make notes to yourself, or find a whiteboard to write out the key areas and points you need to know.

 3. Test yourself.

When you feel like you’ve got a handle on what you need to know, test yourself. Ask a roommate or a friend to quiz you. Practice will only make things easier and build your confidence in what you know.

4. Utilize the resources offered at UMass. Go to the tutoring center, where helpful and patient tutors can walk you through the material. Speak directly to your TA or professor to clear up points of confusion. Don’t shy away from going to your professors’ office hours. If your professor is hosting a review session of any kind, go—it’s time well spent.

It can be hard to stay motivated during finals while also managing the rest of your life—your health, relationships, living situation, and friendships. On top of that, this is a time of year when the days are short and it gets dark early, and seasonal depression can make a challenging time even harder—make sure to take care of yourself and get support if you need it. This season and final week won’t last forever, so stay focused on what you need to do and remember why you are here: to work hard, get a great education, and move closer and closer to your goals.

For the Ice Cream Lovers at UMass

By: Elise Porter

As a freshman on campus, even while attending the college with #1 dining, it is easy to miss the meal luxuries of the town where I am from. However, UMass has many excellent possibiliFes to fulfill those cuisine cravings. Being a passionate ice cream fanaFc, I was quick to scope out the creaFve opFons and decide whether it is worthy of the #1 Ftle or not. (Spoiler Alert: It is!)

#1 Ice Cream Sandwiches

At Franklin Dining Commons, however creatable at all four dining commons.

With dessert options commonly consisting of cookies and ice -cream, you would be missing out on proper college dining without feasting on a combination of the two. At Franklin Dining Commons, there is hard ice cream in many different flavors, along with the variety of cookies that all the dining commons’ menus offer. Achieving the best possible ranking on my ice cream scale, we start the list off with my favorite combination of two chocolate chunk cookies with moose tracks ice cream graciously placed in between. If visiting another dining hall, the hard ice cream could be interchangeable with soft serve.

#2 Brownie Sundaes

Best at Berkshire Dining Commons, however necessities available at all four dining commons.

My first ice cream creativity test was at the lovely Berkshire Dining Commons. Brownies being a weekly provision, I was quick to attempt at adding ice cream to enhance the flavor. With Berkshire having the best soft serve options, I swirled it on top of the chocolatey confection, and topped it off with a selection of the toppings that were offered.

#3 Milkshakes

Available at Blue Wall in the Student Union.

This simple addition to any meal is replenishing during a break from any collegiate academic courses and may even make you happy enough to help pay better attention during your next lecture. So far, the best milkshakes I’ve tried have been at Blue Wall, served at The Grill and Paciugo. If you are going for a classic vanilla or chocolate sprint over to The Grill, however if you are craving a fancier frosted treat, Paciugo has unique flavor options that change each day.

#4 Ice Cream at the Ice

Provided in the Mullins Center.

Who doesn’t love to eat ice cream in the middle of winter while enjoying a victorious hockey game? Essentially, anyone who lives outside of New England. However, as members of a university in the Northeast, it is our responsibility to take part in that unique activity. The Mullins Center offers generous scoops of hard ice cream, at shockingly inexpensive prices. If you don’t like to watch hockey, you should still go to the games even if only for this ice cream opportunity.

#5 Soft Serve

Options at every dining common.

This sweet dessert was a necessity for this list to thank UMass Dining for the wonderful meals they make available every day by the tireless and wonderful staff. UMass offers soft serve at each of its dining halls, with flavors such as vanilla, chocolate, cookies and cream, peach and black raspberry. You would be missing out if you didn’t stop by one of these stations at least 10 times a week. To conclude, UMass Dining deserves its title of #1, and has limitless ice cream opportunites.

Black Friday Guide

By: Jillian Baldassini

As the holiday season is right around the corner, everyone wants to find gifts for their friends and loved ones (maybe a little treat for yourself as well). However, being a college student the budget can be pretty tight. So, I compiled a list of some deals that are going on or coming soon!

*Disclaimer: Some stores haven’t released their Black Friday Deal. So a few of these numbers are from last year's sale! Just keep your eyes peeled for the next coming days.

★ Dicks Sporting Goods - Pre Black Friday: Select holiday deals are 50% (ends Mon Nov 20th) - Plus take an extra 25% clearance items

★ North Face - Select styles are up to 50%

★ Target - Up to 50% in every department including tech

★ Zara - up to 40%

★ Amazon - up to 50%

★ H&M - up to 70%

★ Lululemon - up to 50%

★ Bath and Body Works - All three wicked candles for $14.95 - 2 for $24 single wicked candles - Hand soaps 5 for $27

★ Aerie - 40% site wide

★ SKIMS - Bi-annual sale- up to 50 % off (sometimes they kick it off earlier than Black Friday)

★ Abercrombie - 30% off site-wide

★ Hollister - 40% off everything (if you are a house member you have early access)

★ Ulta - Starting Nov 18th online up to 50% off and in store Nov 19th - Right now 40% morphe, 30% off MAC, 50% It’s A 10, 30% off IT Cosmetics, 40% moisturizers, and much more

★ Sephora - Wed 11/22 (Tarte 30% off) - Thurs 11/23 (Sunday Riley 30% off), - Fri. 11/24 (Fenty Beauty 30% off), - 11/20-11/27 (up to 50% off fragrances)

Hopefully, this list gives you some ideas of what you can get your loved one for this holiday season! Have a safe, fun, well-deserved break :)

Discover your Ideal Study Spot: On-Campus Locations Tailored to Your Study Style

By: Lauren Heye 

As we approach the end of the semester, finals season is slowly creeping upon us. Finding the right study spot is essential for optimizing your productivity. You’ll find that with the right environment, studying can be more productive and even enjoyable. Be sure to try some of these locations out for a change in scenery and explore more of our campus. 

Happy studying!

1. The Social Butterfly: Isenberg Hub 

For students who thrive on social interaction and collaborative energy, the Isenberg Hub is the perfect place for you. Its open layout and communal workspaces provide the ideal setting for group work and discussions. Plus, most Isenberg students have classes/clubs in the Hub, so it is convenient for someone with a tighter schedule. The computer labs in Isenberg are a great place to do Excel work or any other digital project. If you need a study break, the Carney Cafe offers flatbread pizzas, grilled cheese, and smoothies! 

2. The Outdoors Enthusiast: The Design Building Rooftop Garden 

Discover the hidden gem atop the Design Building–its rooftop garden. Although more suitable for other seasons, it’s right across the street from Isenberg, perfect for those who love being outside.  

3. The Cafe Connoisseur: Argo Tea & Terrace Cafe 

Do you need your study session to be fueled by caffeine? If yes, I recommend trying Argo Tea, located in Southwest. With a cafe-style environment, Argo offers a menu ranging from lattes to bubble teas and pastries. The cafe is filled with a mix of small tables and larger group tables. It is the perfect place to meet up with a friend to study! Additionally, check out the newly added Fieldstone cafe, The Terrace. It is conveniently located across the street from Isenberg and has a modern atmosphere for studying. 

4. The Silent Scholar: The W.E.B. Du Bois Library Quiet Floors 

For those easily distracted and in need of a quieter space, head to the library’s quiet floors. With numerous options available, my personal favorite is floor 11. The floors are bordered with individual desks and amazing views of the campus the higher you go up. I find myself here when I have to get a lot of work done or study for a big exam. 

Go Outside! Nature and Mental Health (& a guide to some great local hikes!)

By: Marigold Averill

As the weather is getting colder and the sun is starting to set earlier and earlier, it can be so hard to spend time outside. These past couple weeks, my motivation and positivity has taken a dive in the dump. But, as my Mom reminded me, I simply need to get outside. On Friday morning, I decided to go hike Mount Norwottuck. It was that beautiful Friday where the temperature was perfect and miraculously, the sun was out. Despite having a class that afternoon, I “forced” myself to get outside and enjoy the weather. My mindset completely changed after getting some Vitamin D and exercise in the woods. 

Last year, I was heavily involved in the Outing Club, a club at Umass focused on all things outdoors. Hiking for me is an adventure, a challenge – but more importantly, it's a huge stress reliever. Simply just being outside in the fresh air is a reminder for me that I don’t need to be as stressed and anxious as I am.

Being outside in natural light has huge benefits for anyone who suffers from seasonal affective disorder, a type of depression that affects people during particular seasons of the year. I find myself feeling especially disconnected from nature the more time I spend on my phone — which can be a lot. According to Harvard University, “exposure to nature has been linked to a host of benefits, including improved attention, lower stress, better mood, reduced risk of psychiatric disorders and even upticks in empathy and cooperation”.

Though I tried to continue the streak of going on at least one adventure a week, I found it extremely difficult to do with this year's schedule. It may seem like a lot of work to carve out some time to enjoy the outdoors, but it is always always worth it.

Some mountains/hikes I have really enjoyed around Amherst so far:

Mount Holyoke Summit House

The Mount Holyoke Summit House is an incredible hike. I have done this trail more times than I can count. It’s very short – about 2 miles out-and-back. It’s a rather steep trail, but the view is so worth it. The summit gives you a look at all of Amherst and Northampton, along with the Connecticut River. Do this hike with your friends! It also can be a beautiful sunset hike, just make sure you time it so you aren’t hiking back in the dark (I learned this the hard way).

SugarLoaf Mountain

Sugarloaf Mountain can be hiked via road or trail. I have done both, and love both for different reasons. I have hiked Sugarloaf as a sunrise hike via trail, and it was absolutely stunning. The trail is not too difficult, but if you’re not feeling a more intense hike, walking up the road is also a great way to reach the peak. This is another great hike to do with your friends, especially for a picnic or sunset hike.

Mount Norwottuck

Mount Norwottuck is a bit more difficult – just about 3.5 miles. It is another beautiful hike and the view is so worth it. I have done this trail as a sunrise hike, as well as just during the day. It can be steep at parts, but a great adventure and not too challenging. There are also other trails around Mount Norwottuck that don’t reach the peak but are beautiful flat trails that parallel a river.

Bare Mountain

I have only hiked Bare Mountain once, as a sunrise hike. It was a beautiful hike and I would love to do it again. It is only about 1.1 miles out-and-back and is not too difficult. Steep at parts, but not a huge challenge. This is another mountain on Mt. Holyoke Range and I would definitely recommend you check it out!