As finals season progresses, the University of Minnesota has resources available to help relieve some of the stress finals may bring.
Resources include events held by University libraries, the Recreation and Wellness Center and the Earl E. Bakken Center for Spirituality & Healing.
Walter Library and Magrath Library
Walter Library is open 24/7 until May 14 at 8 p.m. Only the second floor will be open during extended study hours.
Magrath Library on the St. Paul campus has extended study hours until 2 a.m. with U-card access.
Lacie McMillin, University Library undergraduate services specialist, said the Library team wants students to come in and make the library spaces their own.
“If you need a safe place to go in and you need to — and we don’t promote it — but if you need to pull that all-nighter, we try to offer those spaces,” McMillan said.
McMillan said students should take advantage of library resources being offered because they are there to provide materials for students as well as make resources more accessible and easier to use.
Theresa Heitz, library student, experience, learning and accessibility specialist, said the libraries are very invested in seeing students succeed both academically and personally during college.
“We want to meet people where they’re at, so it’s a totally nonjudgmental place to come when you need something,” Heitz said. “We’re here to kind of help at any point in the process along the way, and are really happy to meet and work with students with whatever they need.”
Recreation and Wellness Center
The RecWell is offering finals week resources, including massage therapy and multiple free group fitness classes, which go until May 15.
Ben Kohler, fitness and wellness director at RecWell, said the group fitness classes have anywhere from five to 50 people in a class. Body pump classes, yoga flow classes, TRX classes, pilates classes and cycle classes are available.
Outside of finals week, students need to purchase a $40 FitPass to have access to group fitness classes for the semester. Kohler said RecWell has done free classes before as a service to the campus community.
“Offering free classes during finals week is a way to give back to students for supporting us during the school year, as well as our chance to offer opportunities for them to participate and take care of themselves in a different way,” Kohler said.
Physical activity is beneficial for physical and psychological health as well as for academic achievement, according to BMC Public Health.
Kohler said that although most students think RecWell is just a gym, the goal is for RecWell to be a campus hub for student life.
“I want people to recognize that we’re not just a gym, that we offer so many different ways to take care of yourself, and it’s not just to hop on a treadmill,” Kohler said.
The Earl E. Bakken Center for Spirituality & Healing
Every Monday, the Bakken Center offers students Mindful Mondays — free drop-in sessions held from noon to 1 p.m. to guide students through a series of mindful movements and meditations. These will continue throughout the summer.
The Center also offers free monthly community webinars on a variety of topics designed to help students take charge of their health and wellbeing.
Other resources the center provides include its Wellbeing Series and Wellbeing Workshops.
