Finals Resources
By Grace Carballo ‘17
The finals schedule is fast approaching, the Thanksgiving leftovers are running low, and my stress levels have soared to new heights. Whether this is your first semester at USC or your last, the last few days of school are always filled with group projects, essays, exams, (oh my!).
The silver lining to the dark cloud looming over us is that there are a lot of resources on campus to help you out if you need it, some of which I didn’t even know about until I started writing this blog post.
In the words of my father when he dropped me off at the airport to send me back to L.A. this morning, “Study hard, get enough sleep, make sure you’re exercising, and have fun.” While those suggestions may seem mutually exclusive, balance is key, and I hope these suggestions help you maintain your physical and mental health throughout the exams this winter.
This Friday (December 2) is the last day of classes. We have study days from Saturday (December 3) to Tuesday (December 6) - though if I’m being honest, I think classifying Saturday and Sunday as “study days” is a little unfair given that they’re weekend days and we wouldn’t have class then anyway. Thanks a heap!
Exams start on Wednesday (December 7) and end on December 14 so be sure you haven’t made your travel plans earlier than you intended to. Final exams wait for no one.
Best of luck with all your final projects, papers, and exams, and in the continued spirit of gratitude for this long weekend we just had and triumph over Notre Dame, here are the campus resources we can all be thankful for:
1) Professional Golden Doodle (available by appt.)
First and foremost, you should know that Professor Beauregard, or Beau, is available for office hours in the OWHP Wellness Lounge. He’s the first full-time canine staff member!
One of the hardest parts of being so far from home is missing my dog. It was a lot easier in high school to pull a late night studying with her by my side. Beau is here to fill that void for all of us. I’m a firm believer in the benefits of therapy and an equally firm believer in the healing power of dogs, so rest assured that I fully support Professor Beauregard’s hiring.
2) Free Stuff at the OWHP Student Wellness Lounge!
The OWHP has all kinds of goodies available to you like free hot chocolate, tea, tampons, bandaids, cold care kits, and safe sex supplies. Best of all, they have massage chairs- I’m pretty sure I’m going to lounge there while prepping for my presentation this week. My posture is whack when I spend all day at a computer so a massage is exactly what the doctor ordered.
The Office for Wellness and Health Promotion Student Wellness Lounge does not require an appointment, so feel free to drop by whenever.
3) Write on! (The USC Writing Center)
The USC Writing Center offers one-on-one assistance, for FREE, with very talented grad students. They helped me out big time with WRIT 140 back in my freshman days, and they helped me this fall with my Fulbright essays. We’ve really come full circle. To get started with their web-based scheduling system CLICK HERE.
It’s important to know that they won’t edit your paper for you. They ask the right questions to help guide you to strengthening your argument. In my experience, it helps to have specific areas of your paper you want to strengthen. The Writing Center closes on Friday (last day of classes) so get your appointment while you still can!
4) Pause for Paws Happy Hours
Take a study break to relax with the campus therapy dogs December 1, 5, 6 and 7. You can like USC OWHP on Facebook to keep up with where they’ll be. The only thing that brings me more joy than seeing these dogs on campus is seeing the goofy grins on my scholarly peers as they emerge from Leavey, blinking in the brightness, to pet these sweet pups.
5) De-Stress Craft Fest
On Friday, December 2, the De-Stress Craft Fest will take place at the USC Fisher Museum of Art.
The Students with Fisher@USC have planned this fun event with FREE food and art. You can also take the opportunity to check out the Fisher Museum and the current exhibit, A Generosity of Spirit: Celebrating the Gift of Eugene Rogolsky, MD.
6) The Art of Taking a Break
On Tuesday, December 6, during stop days, take a study break to support your Roski friends at the USC Roski Undergraduate Open Studios from 5:00-7:00 in Watt Hall. There’s nothing that gets my creative juices flowin’ more than a visit to a museum or gallery or even just watching an artist at work. Perhaps this will inspire you to write a great paper or several?
7) Ideal Study Spots on Campus
In September, I wrote a Guide to USC’s Libraries, per a reader’s request. Even if you’ve already RSVPed to Crying At Doheny or similar Facebook events, I encourage you to check out a new study space and see if it enhances your productivity. I’ve included 3 of my favorites, but half the fun is finding your spot yourself.
Mudd Hall- the Philosophy Library has the most studious, Hogwartsesque vibes you could ever hope for.
Fertitta Hall- it’s modern, it’s sleek, it’s definitely new because it was not here last time I was on campus (sophomore year). This building looks like where I picture the next Facebook will get developed.
East Asian Library (in Doheny) - where we have Trojans360 meetings usually and where the lighting is ideal for energized, efficient study sessions. You get to overlook the Quad and dream of a simpler time tailgating out there!
8) Wait Not, Want Not (Tapingo)
I’m always surprised when there is a line out the door at TroGro or Coffee Bean at the Cinema School and I get my beverage in mere minutes with the touch of a button or two. Unless waiting in a long line is your study break of choice or your phone does not have Tapingo app capabilities, there is no reason to spend valuable time listening to the 20 people in front of your placing their orders. The Tapingo app allows you to place your order digitally, customize it with all your mixologist preferences, and pick it up approx 8-12 minutes later (depending on how busy the place is).
Best of all, for on-campus restaurants you can link it to your Dining Dollars or Discretionary Fund. A fun thing I’ve been doing lately is texting my little brother (a freshman) who has more Dining Dollars than he knows what to do with, and having him Tapingo (it’s a verb now) me the occasional latte or veggie burger. What a time to be alive!
Best of luck with all your finals! Even though I’ll likely be a little overtired and a little crabby these next 2-3 weeks, I am truly grateful to attend this university, alongside such talented and driven individuals. Hopefully we can put all of these resources to good use and then earn ourselves a restful winter break and the happiest of holidays!
Fight (the fatigue) on,
Grace Carballo ‘17
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