Finals week...or two...or three. One of the most stressful and hated times for students all across campus. Resentful of those who are done by the 14th or only have papers to write. Relieved that you’re finished before the 23rd. Trying to block out the fact that all of your friends from home are done by now, enjoying their month long break. Questioning how on earth there could not have been any possible way that your exam on the 23rd, or any exam for that matter, couldn’t be rescheduled. Somehow all classrooms throughout campus are filled to the brim up until the day before Christmas Eve, 8:00am to 9:00pm. There is absolutely no possible way of taking it early, no exceptions. Period. Unless you have swine flue, of course. It’s not the professors fault that your exam is when it is, the University set it up that way. Do you think your GSI’s want to be here too?

You wake up at the crack of dawn just so you can beat the crowd over to the Grad reference room to get a comfy chair (perfect for napping). Or rush to the UGLI to get a group study room only to find them all filled with one person apiece. After about a half hour of searching around, you find a spot that “nobody else knows about.” Golden. You get situated and start working. Hours go by and suddenly you realize you’re on facebook looking at someone’s photos from high-school that you talked to once in your history class. Why are you even friends with them anymore?

Suddenly- boom, it hits you-hunger. Your stomach is growling and you need to eat. The issue is, you can’t leave your spot without risking it getting snatched by another student. Luckily, if you’re with a friend, they can watch your stuff while you go buy food. However, if you’re by yourself you need to come up with a plan. You could leave your stuff, but there are thieves on campus lurking around waiting for people like you to leave laptops, cell phones, and ipods so they can take them and sell them on ebay. The best solution to avoid this hassle is to bring your own food. Packing a snack or entire meal may sound inconvenient, but trust me, it’s definitely worth not wasting the time it takes to go buy food or risking an unwanted thievery.

Pack something that will keep you filled. Avoid bringing foods that are smelly, like tuna or burritos, because you don’t want to the “that person” who stinks up the entire floor. Fruit is good because it’s easy to carry around and dispose of. Don’t bring loud food, like chips in crinkly bags or a lot of carrot sticks. 
Again, you don’t want to be “that person.” Here is a list of ideas:
Sandwiches like a PB&J or a heartier sandwich with meat.

• Trail mix with nuts and dried fruit.
• Fruit like bananas, grapes, or apples.
• Fruit smoothie drinks like Odwalla tend to keep you filled for awhile.
• Leftovers like pasta salad or something you don’t mind eating at room temperature.
• Bagels

Packing your own food is not only helpful for keeping your spot guarded and not wasting precious study time, but it also costs less!