We all know that finals time can be the most stressful time of year for students. The late night cramming sessions, staring at their computer screens for hours writing papers, and the pressure that comes from their parents and they put on themselves can all culminate in one big train wreck if students aren’t careful.
In light of that, I want to give you a quick rundown of 6 things you can do to help prevent burnout and give students a break during final exams.
- I’ve talked before about holding a study day at your church. This can provide a great mix of study time and breaks for students in your ministry.
- Surprise students in the library with homemade cookies and some conversation to take a short break from studying.
- Set up a short (1-2 hour) game night or ice cream social during finals week. Make it easy for students to come and go as they please.
- Rent an inflatable outdoor movie screen and popcorn machine and show a comedy in a central location on campus.
- Put together your own version of a fun game show like Family Feud, The Price is Right, or Minute to Win It. Just avoid things like Jeopardy that would require a lot of thought.
- Host a makeover or shopping night for women. Put together a video game, sports, or poker night for men.
All of these ideas are meant to break students out of the norm and give them a brief break and hopefully help them get some much needed stress relief. Depending on which events you put on they could also be a great way to do some outreach.
Has your ministry done any special events during finals week? Which ones have had the most success?