As students are going through their final exams’ season, almost everyone’s stress levels are reaching a peak. To address this, LSE organised various free events around campus during Mental Health Awareness Week to help students de-stress. Although my exams ended before the events took place, I decided to attend some of the events on Tuesday and Wednesday – I still have one summative essay to submit and was in need of the break. For all of you who are concerned about how to cope with LSE exams season, I’d strongly recommend that you attend the annual Mental Health Awareness Week events when the time comes!
Tuesday, 16 May 2023
On Tuesday, the first thing I noticed was the food trucks lining up at the Central Building Square. There was a Lebanese food truck and a stall selling Italian gelatos. Thanks to the warm weather, the square was bustling with people who were enjoying the sunlight with scoops of gelatos.
I didn’t have the chance to buy any of these, unfortunately. However, a friend of mine bought herself a bowl of Lebanese chicken salad that looked delicious! If you’re a foodie, you ought to take advantage of these opportunities. To be fair, this isn’t the first time the food trucks came to LSE, and the range of dishes they offer each time is truly international – it was Lebanese and Italian this time, but there was a time when they served Chinese street food and Indian curry!
Wednesday, 17 May 2023
To be honest, Wednesday was the day I was most looking forward to. LSE organised a unique activity: cycling to get yourself some free smoothies! This booth was located just outside the LSE Library. It was a shame that I couldn’t cycle because of my disability, but I managed to get a small cup of smoothie! Thank you again to a student who was willing to cycle twice (once for her, once for me). The event managers poured some orange juice and mixed berries into the cup, which were ground with cycling. I bet lots of students spend the majority of their time sitting in front of their laptops during exam season – why not take a short 5-minute break and cycle to get yourself a sweet treat?
If cycling is not your cup of tea, it’s totally fine as well. There was another way where you could get some free treats! On the fifth floor of the Old Building, LSE prepared a bunch of freebie bags and treat boxes. It took place in the Staff Common Room and students were welcome to get some free snacks and drinks. I got myself a freebie bag – I scooped some M&M chocolates, a pack of hot chocolate powder, some chips, and popcorn. Probably that’s more sugar than what I should be consuming daily, but you know what? Studying all day in the library and grinding takes a lot of your energy. A LOT! Normally, I would buy myself a few packs of chocolate to keep my brain working during exams season. But the school kindly provided these energy boosts for free!
Now, on the subject of staying fit. Right opposite the cycling booth, there were stations to play table tennis! I’m not really good at playing sports, but several students were enjoying them with their friends. Since you’ll have to focus on the ball, you’ll be free from your mental preoccupation with your exams and assessments – at least temporarily!
Of course, your end-of-year summative are important as they account for your final grades. But that doesn’t mean that you should be grinding all day – taking a short break in between your studies is beneficial. It’ll refresh your mind and potentially help you to concentrate better. It also kindly reminds you that exams and assessments are not everything. Yes, they are important, but not to the extent that you should ignore everything else, including your mental health. We’ve got this, don’t stress out too much!
