Hello Blog,
Just like that, another semester comes to a close. It’s wild to think that I am officially more than halfway done with college. But, of course, I’m not done yet! I have a bit of an abnormal finals situation this semester, so I’ll talk a little about how Wellesley finals are unique and my plans to finish the semester strong!
Wellesley has something called “self-scheduled exams,” which means for the majority of classes you can choose when you take your final. There are a few sessions on each day of finals where you can pick up the envelope with your exam, take it in a designated room of your choice in the building, and return the envelope before your session ends. Wellesley students are given a lot of trust because of our Honor Code, which is central to the learning environment.
I only have one in-person final this year, which is my physical chemistry end of semester “celebration.” Don’t be fooled, it’s still a test, but I’ve heard my professor brings snacks, so I’m looking forward to that. My other final is an essay for my religion class that I just have to turn in by the end of finals period. The nice thing about paper finals is that you can write them from home, so a lot of people are able to go home early.
My final for my music performance seminar is a “jury,” which basically means I play everything I’ve been working on this semester for all of the strings music faculty. This is a bit nerve wracking because it’s a 15-minute performance, but I’ve had a lot of performance opportunities this semester, so I feel pretty prepared. My last final is for my research lab. I have to write up a report that summarizes all my work this semester. Additionally, I’ll have a presentation for all the literature I’ve read and a first draft of the introduction for my thesis. This is intended to give me a good foundation for when I start officially writing my thesis next fall.
So, how does a college student stay sane during finals season? First, routine is key! I try to go to sleep around the same time each night and wake up at the same to ensure that I’m getting enough sleep each night. Next, I make sure I have scheduled breaks throughout the day. Often meals are a great time to catch up with people and put a pause on finals prep. Luckily, there are also a lot of orgs across campus that host “study breaks” during the reading and finals period with food, crafts, and company. One example of this is the end of semester celebration I’m hosting for the Guild of Carillonneurs where we’re going to watch a movie and play the bells during loud hours. The chemistry department always hosts an event where professors read bedtime stories and do a cookie swap and chemistry caroling event.
Thank you for sticking with me this semester! Stay tuned to hear about my Wintersession taking and class and doing research on campus + my Spring semester 🙂
Until next time,
Jade <3
End of semester celebration for my music performance seminar (my prof made noodles & biscotti!)
CMS (Chamber Music Society) Eboard after the reception at our winter concert series.