The end of finals week means different things to everyone. For some, it marks the end of a successful year of college. For others, it signifies the beginning of a new life post-graduation.
Regardless of its significance, the end of final exams is almost always reason enough to celebrate. However, how K-Staters revel in their post-academic gloryis almost as diverse as the reasons behind the celebration itself.
For Melanie Riordan, freshman in pre-psychology, finishing finals week will give her an excuse to relax for a while with friends, and even longer at home with her family.
“Last semester, my friends from my floor and I went to Mr. K’s for cookie bakes after finals were over,” Riordan said. “This semester, I told my roommate we should go to the Konza after we’re both finished, but then I’m just going to go home and sleep for a very, very long time.”
Katie Bourk, junior in public relations, echoed Riordan’s relaxation plans, but added that she’s excited to get back in the social scene once her semester is through.
“I think I always have two options when it comes to celebrating finals week – laying in bed and watching Netflix for a couple of days or hitting the ‘Ville,” Bourk said. “The pro of Netflix time is that I’m so sleep deprived by the time I get out of school that nothing sounds better than sleep and my pillow. But, at the same time, I’ve also been deprived of interaction with the human world, so going out with friends is always a good option to forget the week before.”
Bourk said she also feels it is important to take time for yourself as well as to celebrate after final exams, regardless of your style.
“If you do finals week right, you need some kind of celebration,” Bourk said. “You don’t do anything except school for a couple of weeks, so when you finally don’t have to think about school anymore, you should definitely take advantage of it.”
Sara Schifferdecker, senior in agricultural education, said she is planning on using her post-finals time to catch up with her friends who are graduating.
“I’m kind of known for sticking around even when I don’t have finals going on,” Schifferdecker said. “My last final is on Monday this semester, so I’ll be celebrating before most of my friends. Finals week is actually one of my favorite times of the semester, though, because no one has any other obligations besides studying, so sometimes I make a bucket list for finals week to help me celebrate.”
In the past, Schifferdecker’s “Finals Week Bucket List” has included activities like getting breakfast at The Chef with friends, grabbing dinner or even having a movie marathon.
She maintained the importance of properly celebrating finals week, but for slightly different reasons.
“Finishing finals week is a big accomplishment, even if you don’t have a lot of tests,” Schifferdecker said. “But, it’s also a good time to hang out with your friends and celebrate the last bit of time you have together. When you think back to your last times at school, if your last memories are of finals, that’s no good. It’s best to have memories with friends.”
