Here’s how to survive Hell Week(s) at Pomona

It’s the least wonderful time of the year. Hell Week is almost upon us, draining Pomona students of our remaining sanity. It doesn’t have to be so bad, though. Read these tips, take a deep breath and step away from the Netflix — for now.

Use up the rest of your Flex and stock up on snacks

All the snacks. Chances are, 10:30pm snack at Frary Dining Hall doesn’t cut it for you and it’s only offered Sunday through Monday anyway. I like to buy almond milk and granola so I can refuel on cereal at 3am in my dorm room with no problem, then get right back to finishing up thesis. Believe me, you’ll thank yourself if you have snacks ahead of time. That way you don’t have to run to the Co-op Store at 11:45pm in the cold and the dark only to find out they are out of Yerba Mate.

A beautiful snack bucket

Don’t isolate yourself (but don’t spend all night talking to friends either)

If you tend to isolate yourself when you feel stressed, only do so if you think you will actually be productive. Sometimes it’s easy to forget that during finals week that there’s a whole class of people who feel similar to you, so share in the stress, unnecessary Tumblr breaks, crying sessions and final feelings of disbelief when you actually turn in your last assignment and can sleep. Plus, when you’re around other people, you can nap and they’ll wake you up in exactly 17 minutes.

Scope out your favorite study spots

Whether you work best in total silence or you like busy background noise, I’m sure at this point in the semester, you know which spot on campus you could spend hours working. Get there early to reserve your space, because almost all of the students who’ve haven’t set foot there all semester will do so this week.

3rd Floor of Lincoln

Know the safe spaces and the cozy spaces you can escape to.

OBSA, The AARC, WU, SOCA, The Quest Nest, The Hive, The QSC, The QRC, your room, your friend’s room, those comfy couches in Pearsons, the history library in Mason, the third floor of Lincoln, the library café if it’s not crowded, and the list goes on. Just somewhere you don’t have to deal with dumb questions or people who take up too much space.

Go to Yule Ball if for nothing else than the chocolate fountain.

Again, snacks are the main incentive here. If it’s your thing, they’ll have wine also. No one will really have the time to be there – everyone will literally have better things to be doing – but they’ll still come and dance so we might as well all enjoy chocolate, music, and a photo booth that will capture possibly the last genuine smiles of the semester.

If you can afford it, leave campus

Our campus is pretty far from a significant urban area, so we have to travel to find cafés suitable for day long work sessions. They are worth it though! It’ll be nice to switch up the study space, and when you look around you’ll actually see little kids and families and older folks, not just an endless reflection of your own stress on other students’ faces. There is an expectation to dress in real clothes though. Don’t wear week-old nightclothes.

Have dance parties to reenergize

If you find yourself falling asleep in the middle of that paragraph you’ve been trying to read for the past hour, take 5 minutes to blast your favorite song and dance around your room. No one is watching, and it’ll probably inspire you to move ahead in the reading or just go to sleep. Either way, you’ve made a decision and moved forward with it. Even if you decide to just go to sleep at least you completed the only workout you have time for this week. That’s one less thing to worry about

Don’t skip your therapy session at Monsour

You’ll regret it if you do, and you aren’t gonna do any work for that hour anyway. Plus, the waiting room has candy and great magazines.

Monsour Waiting Room

Take breaks — watch Jane the Virgin or Insecure

Team Rafael for the win.

Visit the puppies

Keep a look out for the announcement in Chirps! Adorable puppies come to campus every finals week to help lift spirits, and they’re great because no matter how far behind on final papers and studying you are, they always look at you like you’re the most organized and beautiful person they’ve ever seen.