Students studying at the main stacks of the main library on Tuesday

The dark, looming cloud of finals is moving closer, and pretty soon, everyone will be in full grind mode. However, students should not feel alone if they are feeling stressed or overwhelmed. Libraries and organizations on campus are noticing the growing anxiety in students, and they are taking steps to help.

On Reading Day, the Wesley Student Center will be hosting “Reading Day Pancakes” at Etc. Coffeehouse from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Students can work on homework and study for exams while eating pancakes with toppings, fruits and other treats.

Also on Reading Day, Illinois Campus Recreation will be holding “Fun before Finals” at the ARC from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Free food from Jarling’s Custard Cup, Salad Meister, Jimmy John’s and KIND snacks will be available. There will be gift card giveaways and intramural activities in the ARC Winter Garden to help students de-stress.

The outdoor pool will be open. There will also be a live DJ and free yoga from noon-1 p.m. The event is free for students.

For students who need a quick break from studying, the Undergraduate Library will be bringing back De-stress Fest this year from noon-10 p.m., with various events and activities happening throughout the day.

“(The UGL does) a good amount of events; they do a lot already,” said Xanthe Huspen, sophomore in LAS.

Huspen said some events, such as “Fun before Finals” at the ARC, are advertised on Facebook, which makes students aware of the events.

“I’ve definitely been (at the UGL) during finals week, and it’s always packed, which is kind of a struggle,” Huspen said.

Although some of these events may take away from study times, they can still be beneficial to the well-being of students.

“It’s like purposeful procrastination,” Huspen said. “If you’re going to procrastinate do it wisely and with friends. Don’t just watch Netflix.”

Lengxi Zhang, junior in LAS, said going to a library can be beneficial, but sometimes if too many people and groups are talking, it can be more of a distraction.

“It seems like when finals come, everyone wants to go to the library. Maybe the vibe helps the students be more intense about studying. Sometimes it can be bad, but sometimes it can be a good thing,” Zhang said.

During finals week, Zhang said tables tend to fill up quickly.

“If it’s possible, (libraries should) add more tables. Sometimes one person occupies all spaces at one (table),” Zhang said.

Zhang added libraries can also extend times during finals week to help students, as well as provide free coffee.

On Sunday, the UGL extended its hours to 24 hours every day until the last day of finals.

Mary Schlembach, University librarian and associate professor of physics, said in an email Grainger is staying open 24 hours during the weekend of May 3- 5.

“With the huge number of students studying and necessary staff to cover hours, we are already doing what we can to support finals,” Schlembach said.

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