As students return full of turkey, stuffing and pie, they come back to an odd three weeks at Grand Valley State University. These three weeks are filled with papers, projects and tests of every kind. Powerpoint presentations and 10-page essays students had all semester to work on now loom in the distances as people scramble to get them done.

However, the last week of school before the highly anticipated semester break doesn’t involve classes, it’s the dreaded finals week. To help combat the additional stress exams may cause many students, GVSU hosts an annual array of events known as “exam cram.”

Exam cram is a two week-long series of activities put on by several organizations on campus, including campus recreation, University Counseling Center and campus dining to help promote relaxation and health, providing students with healthy options to cope with exam stress from Monday, Dec. 5 to Thursday, Dec. 15.

“Our goal is to bring the services to where the stress is happening to help alleviate stress levels and encourage students to make healthy choices and remember to take time to take care of themselves during the more stressful part of the semester,” said Amy Campbell, associate director of campus recreation via email.

This year’s exam cram features many of the same activities and events that were put on last year, including visits from the West Michigan therapy dogs, free sleep and stress screenings, movie nights in the Kirkhof Center theater, karaoke in the Women’s Center, free massage chairs at the Mary Idema Pew Library and other activities.

Student reception and attendance is normally fairly high at these events. Students tend to enjoy the services offered and they do help take their minds off the stress the season brings, Campbell said.

At the recreation center, Campbell does notice an uptick in students who are trying to work out their exam stress through exercise. In response to this uptick and to the season in general, the recreation center holds free group exercise classes such as Tabata, spin classes, Insanity workouts and yoga. Along with these, they also hold free massages and blood pressure screenings.

“Our massage services are often booked through exam week,” Campbell said. “Some individuals meet with our fitness staff to get exercise programs for over break or to get ready for the new year, so Ufit services continue to stay busy.”

The recreation center isn’t the only place gearing up for the season. Campus dining has extended the hours of Argo Tea for students looking for a caffeine boost, as well as handing out free coffee at the downtown Pew Campus from Monday, Dec. 5 to Thursday, Dec. 8. The Mary Idema Pew Library is going to be open for 24 hours a day starting Monday, Dec. 5 and ending Friday, Dec. 9 at 2 a.m.

Exam cram is an opportunity for students to take a break and focus on not letting their bodies and minds deteriorate under the pressure finals season brings.

“This is a very important time to take care of both the body and the mind,” Campbell said. “Taking mental study breaks, moving the body, eating balanced meals or snacks and making sure that you get adequate sleep are all components of taking care of yourself.”