Final Photo Essay.

            College is a momentous time in any young person’s life. It’s finally time to move away from your parents and family, be on your own (somewhat) and experience a new life while furthering your education. It’s a chance to break out of your shell and become your own person. You meet exciting new people and have the opportunity to do lots of fun new things.

            And although college is a fun and exciting experience, it’s also incredibly stressful. While we all thought high school was hard work, most college students would give anything to have their high school work load back.

            More often than not, the stress of college can get the best of the students. Especially at the end of semesters when every college student must face their worst enemy… finals week.

(Photo 1) For very few, it means an easy week of turning in assignments that were worked on progressively all semester and maybe taking a test or two, which should be no problem thanks to continual studying.

            But for every normal college student, it’s a crazy stressful week of finishing up the projects you knew about all semester but neglected, constantly telling yourself, “I’ll have time to do it later,” and cramming for tests that you have to get a 90% on to pass the class.

            Many college students turn to their friends for help (photo 2) during the stress of finals. It’s always nice to have a friend in your class with you, especially if it’s not your strong subject. Many friends can tutor you or help you study, some will even go as far as to make study guides for you and even reteach you some things. It’s a good feeling to have friends who will take the time out of their stressful week to make sure you are on the right track for your final.

            It’s important to not let what others are doing bother you during finals. (Photo 3) In college, everybody is on a different curriculum at a different pace, taking different classes. It might seem like you are stuck in a rut and that you are helpless and can’t get out, and that everyone around you is going on with their lives like they aren’t struggling at all. Chances are, they are struggling. But everybody deals with their problems in different ways, and it’s important to make sure you don’t gauge your success off of others.

            Another important thing to keep in mind during finals week is procrastination (photo 4). Do not do it. For some students, it comes so easy. They get so wrapped up in work, extracurricular activities, and the rest of their lives that they put school on the bottom of their priority list. This can really hurt you at the end of the semester when you’re rushing to get everything done. Procrastinating is so easy, and usually a lot of fun. It’s important to be able to realize you are doing it and stop yourself.

            Getting enough rest is very imperative in college in general, but definitely for finals (photo 5). The average college student is already under enough stress with studying and finishing projects, but not getting enough rest can make the situation a lot worse. Naps are a great way to fix this problem. They’re great at any time of day (or night) to keep yourself moving.

            Stress can make you do crazy things (photo 6) and having an abnormal sleeping schedule can result in unhealthy decisions. It is likely that you will eat poorly during finals week- especially when your college is encouraging you to spend all of your flex on five pound bags of gummy bears and chocolate pretzels.

            Packing is more than likely the last thing on your mind during finals week, and you have to rush to get it done the second you’re finished with your last exam. It can definitely be a huge pain since students tend to neglect their rooms and organization is not their number one priority (photo 7).

            Stress affects everyone in really different ways (photo 8) and the combination of lack of sleep, poor diet, and overall anxiety can make some do really strange things and act in a strange way. Everyone seems to be on edge- but it’s nothing to take personally.

            (Photo 9) Some students manage their stress with different things. Some try to exercise to get their mind off of it, some will just blow everything off and take the bad grades. But some manage their stress cosmetically, with facials or massages. This can be a quite relaxing and is always a good option to blow off steam.

            Even though you try to deal with the pressure of the end of the semester and finals, sometimes, unfortunately, it can defeat you (photo 10). But all you can really do is stay positive and hope that next semester you’ll learn from the mistakes you made this time, and manage your time better throughout the semester.

Final Photo Essay. (Photos)

My final photo essay is a glimpse into the way some college students deal with the stress of finals.

Some students try to stay on task from the start. They can plan their studying out throughout their finals week (and weeks prior) to minimize stress. Organization is key.

Everyone struggles with different subjects. It's always okay to ask for help.  Your friends will be willing to help you even if they have their things to do as well. Everyone has been in your situation. Some students are fortunate enough to have friends that will even make study guides for them and buy them sour patch kids.

Exhaustion will take its toll. You might find yourself in a hard place (sprawled out on the floor) and it might seem like everybody around you is still moving forward while you're stuck. It's okay. Pick yourself back up.

Other students enjoy procrastination. More often than not, you don't even realize you do it. Some students obsessively clean, some paint or draw, some just simply waste time on Facebook. In Emily's case, she decided that after an entire year of having a ukulele in her room, she wanted to learn how to play it during finals week instead of studying for her Music History and Methods finals.

The best piece of advice for finals week: naps. There's nothing wrong with midday naps. There's nothing wrong with evening naps. And there's definitely nothing wrong with napping from midnight til three in the morning. You'll be lucky if you manage to fall asleep in your bed instead of the library, the study lounge, the floor.

Some students get to the point where they can only focus when putting themselves in weird situations or stressing their bodies. Megan can only read her story about vampires for her Rituals, Magic and Myth class while laying on the floor. Sitting at her desk just doesn't cut it. Some also find themselves snacking on random things, like icing from a can. Whatever keeps you awake.

Usually during finals week, cleaning your room is the last thing you feel like doing. All of your supplies and things you use to "cope" with stress are strewn about, which makes the final clean of your dorm room as you pack to move out even worse.

The stress affects everyone in different ways. It can make people do crazy things. Knowing she has three finals to study for that could determine whether she returns next semester is making Ashley act a little crazy.

Some students like to cosmetically relieve stress. A nice facial mask at 3:30 in the morning helps Miawna open up her pores and refresh herself. 

Unfortunately, stress can get the best of some. Exhaustion can lead to giving up on hitting the books and hitting the floor instead. 

News.

(Former) Congresswoman Kathy Dahlkemper presents a check to the Erie International Airport for their runway expansion project.

(Former) Congresswoman Kathy Dahlkemper presents a check to the HANDS organization in Erie, PA.

(Former) Congresswoman Kathy Dahlkemper at the Sheakleyville Parade in August of 2010.

The Sigma Alpha Iota Date Auction.

The Sigma Alpha Iota Date Auction.

Virtual Worlds.

Features & Portraits.

Documentary.

A look into the life of the third floor of Dearborn Hall.

There is always something ridiculous going on in Dearborn, especially on the third floor. It doesn't really matter what time or day it is, there is usually someone screaming, fighting, or running down the hall way. There's so much friendship on our floor, some friendships even go back to high school, as is the case with Emily and Miawna.

Some of the friendships on the third floor are relatively new. Megan and Emily just met their freshman year (last year) but are incredibly good friends. It's hard to imagine life without the people we've met at school, even though we've only known them for less than two years. There's always laughter on the third floor.

People also tend to be incredibly obnoxious on our floor. So obnoxious, in fact, that one girl that didn't want to be friends with the rest of us moved out at the start of the spring semester. She happened to leave some things behind, however. And when this was discovered, somebody decided to redecorate Megan's door frame while she was at work.

With so many good friends around us, it's hard to have any alone time. Everyone tends to come to our room and make noise, make messes, and basically just invade our space. But I wouldn't have it any other way... usually.

We tend to get crafty on the third floor and have little adventures. One evening we decided to buy face paint and have a face painting party. Previously we have had light writing parties and even tea parties. It's a bonding experience for us and something I cherish.

Spring Break.

Clarice is a Victorian era model.