Bye for Now!
Welcome to the final News Desk for the Spring 2022 semester- and maybe the final newsletter I write for the Daily Eastern News. Today we'll be discussing finals tips, as well as what I can tell you about what to look forward to from the News for the rest of 2022.
On the podcast, Madelyn Kidd and Corryn Brock look back on a story which has finally reached its conclusion: the Douglas Hall name change.
1. Actually go to study sessions
If your professors offer class study sessions of any kind, go to them. Usually, they'll answer any questions you have and may even tell you a lot of what will be on your test. Also, showing up when it isn't required makes you look like a great student. I'm listing this first because these kinds of sessions are usually very early in the week and really are that helpful. If this isn't offered, see if people in your class- especially the ones you don't already talk to all the time- want to study together. Chances are, you're struggling in different areas and can help each other out.
If you need a place to study with your group or alone, I wrote an article last semester on the best study spots on campus. Everyone I talked with offered great suggestions.
2. Dig out the planner you've been ignoring
I hate planners. It just seems like one more task to sit down every week and put everything in your schedule. Plus, my attention span is so short I won't realize I've written things down wrong and then I'll lose it anyway. However, when it comes to the homework and project cramming time at the end of the semester, that schedule becomes super helpful. Plan out exactly how much homework you need to do each day; "Monday: Make powerpoint. Write two pages of essay. Tuesday: Write last four pages of essay." Then actually stick to it! Checking things off the list will only get more satisfying as the semester gets closer to ending.
If you don't already have a planner, I found lots of options for one-week planners that fit on a page you can just print out. The best options I saw were on OnPlanners. You can use the calendar function that comes with a lot of email accounts but having a physical copy that you can put on your wall or desk is usually more helpful.
3. Eat well, but don't get hung up on it
Drinking a lot of water is most important; staying hydrated will keep your energy levels up and overall make you feel better. Same with eating healthy food. It's easy to get overwhelmed and busy and end up eating a lot of fast food during finals, but that will result in just not feeling great. However, don't beat yourself up if you do end up eating less healthy than usual. It really won't matter in the long run.
I really like the salad kits you can grab from grocery stores as an easy healthy meal or side. The ones from Aldi are so good. Here's a recipe for a peanut butter banana smoothie that looks great. (It has Greek yogurt in it. It must be super healthy.) This spinach artichoke turkey sandwich sounds delicious and there's absolutely nothing stopping you from buying remade spinach artichoke dip instead of going to all this effort. "Egg roll in a bowl" sounds like a dramatic way to say "fried rice but fancier" but this recipe is literally three steps- and one of them is "transfer mixture to a serving dish."
If you decide to go out for food and you somehow haven't tried food from Mi Casa Tu Casa yet, do it!
4. Keep mental health in mind
It's super hard to stick to actual self care practices in the midst of a stressful finals week. An adequate amount of sleep is probably the best thing you can do- both for your general happiness levels and for your ability to think when it comes to actually taking tests. Other than that, being willing to talk to people and being mindful of falling into bad habits are both extra important during stressful times.
5. I promise, it isn't the end of the world
We all want to pass our classes. After all, we're paying for them. But if your grade isn't perfect or if you fall behind, it truly will not ruin your life.
Wrapping 2021-22 and Looking Forward to 2022-23
We live in the "future" part of a time travel movie and it makes me feel crazy. 2023 cannot be a real year.
Anyway. Corryn Brock will technically be editor-in-chief through the end of finals week but we usually don't publish a lot of content during that time. After that, Rob Le Cates will take over as EIC for the summer. He'll be keeping the website active with a bit of daily content even during the slower part of the year for our publication. Once the fall semester starts up, I'll be EIC! I'm so excited.
I've got some big plans for next year to restructure our news section in order to provide more content with more diverse topics. I'm still looking for someone to take over the multimedia editor position but I hope to have someone to keep working to expand our online content- hopefully including this newsletter. Or maybe I'll keep writing it- you all can't get rid of me that easily. Our weekly print edition and daily online content aren't going away and we're only planning to expand from there.
In the spring, Madelyn Kidd will take over the EIC position. I don't know what she has planned- she's busy wrapping up the year strong as news editor. Whatever she does, I'm excited to see it.
Keep an eye out for everything this fantastic staff does in the next year.
Catch up with the news!
Greek week wrapped up with the annual Fraternity and Sorority Awards.
A candidate for the position of senior diversity and inclusion officer visited campus and discussed how to address racism on campus.
Student government election results have been announced!
The Illinois Lieutenant Governor visited campus to talk about teacher shortages.
The football team's offensive graduate student, Cole Hoover, is following in his father's footsteps by working with the Panthers.
The softball team had a crazy day Wednesday with an 11-inning game.
Film reviewer Drew Coffey shared his thoughts on "The Northman."
Listen to the podcast!
