The sun is out, the birds are chirping, The Green is finally green again … and it’s crunch time at the University of Delaware, with courses wrapping up and finals week looming on the horizon. 

The challenge of final projects and final exams can elevate students’ stress levels, so there are multiple opportunities in the coming days to rest, relax and reset to finish the academic year on a strong note.

All are encouraged to attend Warner Hall’s Unplug and Decompress on Reading Day event. From 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, May 15, in room 101, there will be hot food, snacks, activities, puppies and a quiet space to take a break and study.

Madison Formica, a first-year student majoring in health behavior science, started preparing for her finals last week. 

“It will be good to relieve stress with something fun like the puppies,” she said. “That’ll take my mind off the stress of finals for a while, and it’s something that I can do with my friends.”  

On Saturday evening, from 8 to 10 p.m., all UD students are invited to the Food for Thought event in Perkins Student Center. There will be complimentary food and activities, and students will receive a self-care kit. 

“At the end of each semester, we look forward to providing a space for students to have an outlet to release stress during finals week,” said Megan West, a UD Student Center program coordinator. “This time we will have five-minute massages from Corporate Touch and a rage room provided by Odyssey Events.”

A late-night breakfast with friends and classmates from 8 to 11 p.m. Sunday, May 17, in Perkins Student Center, is another way to decompress ahead of final exams. 

Study tips and spaces

Dawn Volpe, an academic success coach for UD’s Academic Coaching and Tutoring (ACT), shared study tips in the fall for students who are preparing for the challenges ahead. 

ACT staff members are available year-round to help students better understand course materials, improve their study strategies and receive confidence-boosting coaching sessions. Their office is located in the Center for Academic Success, 148-150 S. College Ave.. 

Students can access many campus locations to study throughout the day and night or grab a late-night snack to refuel during reading day and finals week. 

Morris Library

• Friday, May 15, Reading Day, 8 a.m. – 10 p.m.

• Saturday, May 16, 9 a.m. – 7 p.m.

• Sunday, May 17, 10 a.m. – Monday, May 18, 1 a.m.

• Monday, May 18, 8 a.m. – Tuesday, May 19, 1 a.m.

• Tuesday, May 19, 8 a.m. – Wednesday, May 20, 1 a.m.

• Wednesday, May 20, 8 a.m. – 7 p.m.

Even when the library is closed, students have options to study in the building. The Morris Library Commons, which houses The Nest eatery, is open 24/7 year-round, and the Class of 1941 Lecture Room will be open to students when the library is closed. The Class of 1941 Lecture Room is located off the entrance vestibule to the library, across from the Morris Library Commons. Students can access both the Morris Library Commons and the Class of 1941 Lecture Room with their UDID card through the door along the patio. The front doors to the library, which open to the main steps, will remain locked during these times. 

The Class of 1941 Lecture Room

• Friday, May 15, 10 p.m – Saturday, May 16, 9 a.m.

• Saturday, May 16, 7 p.m. – Sunday, May 17, 10 a.m.

• Monday, May 18, 1 a.m. – 8 a.m.

• Tuesday, May 19, 1 a.m. – 8 a.m.

• Wednesday, May 20, 1 a.m. – 8 a.m.

Trabant and Perkins Student Centers

Trabant and Perkins Student Centers will have available study spaces May 15 through May 20:

• From 7 a.m. - 2 a.m.:

  • Trabant Daugherty Hall

  • Trabant MPR B

  • Trabant MPR C

  • Perkins Williamson Room

  • Perkins Ewing Room (starting at 6 p.m. on May 15)

• 7 a.m. - 3 a.m.:

  • Perkins Den