Finals season is coming into full effect this week at San Diego Mesa College and students are sorting everything out for their final grades. Compared to last semester’s finals week, with the closing of the Learning Resource Center (LRC), this one seems to be normal.
In order to continue this effect of simplicity and to help avoid stress, Mesa College’s Health Services Department has employed the Comfort Tent to help aid in stress relief during this time of year. The week prior to finals officially beginning, the Comfort Tent was a place for students to come and mellow out as they begin to embark on the adventure that is finals week. Located outside of the LRC, the tent included food, music, and canine companions to help ease stress.
Students were encouraged to come to the tent in order to learn stress-relieving techniques, and take refuge in a relaxing and peaceful setting in order to prepare for finals.
During this official last week of classes, Student Health Services will instead be deploying the “comfort cart.” The cart is taken around Mesa’s campus by a representative of the Student Health Services and offers free items to students during a stressful time of the year. The free items include: a bottle of water, a piece of fruit, a protein bar, and many more.
While students are visiting the cart, the representative is also there to remind students to take their personal time and breathe during this time of the year, and encourage self-care. They are also there to boost positive attitudes before students take their exams. “You know just a shout out like ‘good luck on your exams!’ seems to help to encourage many students as they head towards the exam room,” said on campus therapist, Michael Booth.
One of the other gifts handed out at the cart are affirmation cards with positive quotes to help students stay calm. The idea was thought of by Itzel Martinez, a student who works with Student Health Services. “I think students need the affirmations to bring their spirits up,” said Martinez.
The times at which the cart will cycle do vary, but be sure to be on the look-out in order to take advantage of the resources at play.
With things like this in place, it is clear to see the positive reinforcement of student performance quality here on Mesa’s campus.