I can’t lie – the conclusion of my first semester at Amherst College was a little hectic and stressful with finals, having to pack for winter break, and figuring out travel plans. However, I can’t deny that it has also been an enjoyable experience. Even though December is finals season, it is also the holiday season, and the town of Amherst reflects it. In the Town Common, there are lights wrapped around the trees and glittering snowflake decorations attached to lamposts. Some cafés, such as Black Sheep, have special holiday drinks like peppermint hot chocolate. But what brought people into holiday spirits was when it snowed the weekend before finals started.
Like most people, I spent the pre-finals weekend studying diligently, and my friends and I decided to go into town and find a boba shop to study in. On our way to the shop, snow started drifting down from the sky, and my friends and I were absolutely joyous. Not only did the snow make the trip into town much more delightful, but the snow also made the campus more fun too. When I returned to the campus after going into town later that afternoon, my friends and I built a snowman in the First Year Quad together and got into a snowball fight. Admittedly, it sounds a little childish to be so excited about the snow, but as someone from a West Coast city where it never snows, this put me into a holiday mood and gave me a well-needed boost of energy before finals.
There were plenty of other events that were also designed to help students alleviate stress before finals. One of my favorite events was the dogs and donuts event which allowed students to pet dogs and grab a donut to take a break from studying for finals. Though everyone was stressed, people found ways to celebrate the holidays in between all the studying. I’m part of the golf team, and we decided to do a Secret Santa, which was a really fun way to end our fall semester as a team. I also gave out small presents to my close friends along with cards that I made thanks to the materials the Queer Resource Center provided.
During finals week, Frost Library and the Science Center were both packed with students diligently studying – my friends and I, fortunately, found a study room on the third floor of Frost to study and write our final essays. Finals week itself was extremely stressful, but most people got their finals over with and had plenty of time to spare to pack before leaving for winter break. Even though I was excited to return home since I hadn’t been home since I initially left for college, I was also really sad to be leaving Amherst and all the friends I’ve made during this semester, especially because I won’t be here during the January term. But I know that when I come back to Amherst, I’ll be more than excited to start classes again!