By Darissa Townes, contributor
If you’ve been at SCAD long enough, you already know how hectic finals can get. As deadlines draw near, however, many students may forget that they are not the only ones with a big test or a project due in a few days. One of the worst things that a student could do during finals, aside from forgetting to complete an assignment, is to disturb others. When in the heat of finals, here are a few things to keep in mind so you won’t drive the other students crazy.
1. Headphones are mandatory when listening to music.
If your project requires the use of sound, never work on it without headphones. Not everyone wants to hear you editing music and you should always expect at least a few glares if you decide not to bring ear buds.
2. Use the computers professionally.
Computers can often be very difficult to find during finals. If you’re one of those lucky few to get one, try to not be on Facebook, playing games, watching shows, or be on other non-academic sites for too long. Unless they are specifically for an assignment, you can infuriate a lot of the unlucky students by appearing to be dwaddling on the computer.
3. Try to avoid complaining about how tired you are.
Nearly everyone else around you has been running on the same few hours of sleep, so you getting cranky may make everyone else go into a sleep-deprived frenzy.
4. Don’t take up more than one chair at the computer.
If the lab is getting full, don’t toss your bag onto the chair next to you. No matter how much you want to keep your backpack off of the floor, space is limited, so leave room for everyone.
5. Keep the study areas cell phone-free.
Texting isn’t bad if your phone is on silent and doesn’t make any ‘clicking’ noises. However, phone calls are distracting. If you can’t postpone the conversation quickly, you’ll have to go into the hallway with that.
6. Don’t wait until the last minute to print!
If you have to print a big essay, don’t wait until five minutes before it’s due. Chances are, other students are doing the same thing which can lead to the printers running out of paper or ink which slows everyone down. Don’t be that person who ends up running the printer dry thanks to a 12-page script.
7. Try to keep your voice down.
While a loud voice might wake up a few sleepy students, the same voice could push another bunch of tuckered out students over the edge with rage. Try to spot the exhausted kids before you call out to your friend on the other side of the hallway. You don’t want to make them mad.
8. If you live in the dorms and plan on cooking during finals, make sure you don’t set off the fire alarm.
The last thing that you want to be is the person who made everyone in the building have to wake up and go outside because you burnt something.
Most importantly, do offer some support to your fellow students. Offer to bring in some coffee, energy drinks or donuts. Carry a pair of scissors, tape, staplers, and glue because many students tend to need these at the last minute, and if you see some people working themselves until they get sick, tell them to stop working and take a break. No project or test is worth it if you become too sick to even complete it.
By following these rules, finals week might be a little bit easier to get through. Although it might not help prevent the all-nighters.
