Five ways to safely celebrate the end of exams

By Maggie Hsu, December 20 2022—

As we approach the end of the semester, the onslaught of deadlines and exams feels like the heaviest weight on our shoulders. But there is a light at the end of the tunnel! There’s no better feeling than walking out of your last exam and realizing that you don’t have to study or complete an assignment for a couple of weeks. With all of this free time, what can we do? Of course, the first thought is to grab a round of drinks with friends to relax and drown away the worries of any potential bad results. This can be fun, there are also other things to do beyond the parties and club crawls.

Movie/Netflix Binge Night

Have you been actively dodging spoilers to House of Dragons? Are the interviews with Jenna Ortega causing you physical pain as you restrain yourself from binging the entire first season of Wednesday in lieu of studying? With exams out of the way, it is prime time to build a blanket fort, order a meal (or three) of take out and finally catch up on all of the series or movies you’ve been dying to watch. Personally, I’m excited to dive into the return of Criminal Minds.

Sleep

Hopefully not many of us are pulling multiple all-nighters but sometimes, they are inevitable. Whether or not you are surviving solely on caffeine and the fear of failure, once it’s all over, sleep is more than deserved. Guilt-free sleep without needing to set an alarm is one of the most precious things and this is your chance to take advantage. Might I suggest some blackout curtains, a white noise machine and a humidifier to maximize your slumber?

Winter Adventures

As a Calgarian, I might be a bit biased but we are situated in one of the greatest places for wintertime adventure. There are plenty of outdoor rinks to enjoy some ice skating. If you have access to a car, taking a day trip to Banff is a great way to get in touch with nature and unwind. To heighten that experience, soaking in the hot springs will melt all of your stresses away. Check out more outdoor winter activities Visit Calgary suggests.

Hobbies

Time spent preparing for finals is valuable so many of us tend to put our hobbies and interests on hold so we can allocate that time towards making sure our GPAs stay in good standing. With exams out of the way, it’s a great time to dive back into your hobbies or even pick up a new one. Bonus points if your hobby of choice can result in gifts for the holidays for anyone in your life.

Nothing

We tend to overlook the concept of doing nothing. Especially when we’re so used to being on the go all of the time during the semester. If you’re not hopping from one lecture to the next, you’re working on an assignment or studying, then you meet up with your club or go to work your part-time job before heading home or to the library to do readings and more studying. The true beauty of the end of exams or any semester break in general is that it opens up so much time for absolutely nothing. So why not make yourself a cup of tea, coffee, hot chocolate or anything you like, sit down and just do absolutely nothing?

Treat yourself over the break, you deserve it. If don’t plan to follow this list, just make sure to party safely!