It has been far too long since we last met!
It has been a very VERY busy month for me so here goes…
I ended June by getting married to my high schoolsweetheart, Steven. We had awonderful ceremony and reception with all our family and friends in attendance. We followed a great wedding with abeautiful honeymoon in Jamaica for a week. We got to swim with dolphins, scuba dive with stingrays,hike up Dunn’s river, Kayak in the White River (very different from Muncie’sWhite River!), and zip lining throughthe jungle. It was great to spenda week together without having to worry about anything.
After we got back from the honeymoon it was time to startclass! That’s right, we had oneweek to get everything ready for the big trip to Africa. We discussed the reading inventory bookwe were going to be working with in great detail. We also sorted donations, and took an inventory ofeverything we had so we could let AFC know what all we were taking. We had an entire suitcase full ofDEET! (100% DEET is used to keepthe Malaria infected mosquitoes at bay.) Finally it was Friday morning, and by morning I mean 2 AM. I loaded my bags and my husband up inthe car and we headed for Indy. Wemet my mom who rode with us to say goodbye to her daughter. We all arrived at the airport around3:30AM. After saying my goodbyesto my mom and Steven it was time to go through security and begin the LONGjourney to Africa. We had a shortflight to Washington D.C. where we met up with the rest of the AFCtravelers. We then all boarded thehuge Ethiopian Air jet that we would be on for the next 16 hours. We had a VERY quick stop in Rome. It was a tease because we weren’tallowed to get off the plane, and for most of it they wanted us in ourseats. After watching all ofthe movies the airline had to offer, almost running my ipod (did you know ipodstands for “individual” pod?), and reading a significant amount of pages from abook I’d been reading we were finally over the continent of Africa. No one was awake to celebrate with me,but I was still pumped nonetheless.
We stopped in Ethiopia to get on the smaller jet that wouldtake us to Malawi. Who knew thatlines don’t really mean anything in Africa?! We almost missed our flight because of this. We were a sight running from the bus tothe plane with T. Kline in tow yelling, “REMEMBER THIS!!” Finally after a three-hour flight wewere landing in Malawi!!
After making itthrough immigration we were all amazed with the exchange rate. We felt like millionaires with all theKwatcha they handed us. We werefinally in a bus headed for what would be the busiest and most influential twoweeks of our lives.
Rather then taking up pages to explain everything we didhere is a short list of everything we did. (This list is in no particular order of importance!)
· Tutored a mix of people including: preschoolers,a girl named Mtami, and the housemothers
· Cleaned out a room that was floor to ceilingwall to wall books
· Delivered books to local schools
· Ate lunch on a huge rock in the middle of thebush with a trio of Malawian boys
· Visited a government hospital and a privatehospital (the difference was INSANE!)
· Went to a wood carvers market where bargainingwas essential
· Visited a fishing village and witnessed awedding celebration
· Stayed at Lake Malawi with WILD monkeys
· Stopped in at a small village along the side ofthe road
· Slept with bug nets EVERY night
· Went on a safari
· Stayed at a place where we had to be escorted toour rooms because of the Mvuus (Hippos) and crocs!!
· Had a WILD monkey steal toast from the tableright in front of me
· Stayed many nights at the KGL.
· Saw many cultural events
· Danced cultural dances and ate traditionalMalawian food
· Learned a little Chuchawa (I may have butcheredthe spelling on that.)
· Had the opportunity to team teach with T. Klineas well as Jess.
· Learned a great deal about myself and thingsthat are important to me
· Got to see Malawi’s version of Meijer (a crazyoutside market!)
· Had Malawi’s best driver for the two-weekspan.
· Was blessed to work with a great group of peoplewho have really good hearts.
I will be posting pictures VERY soon, and I look forward tohearing comments and questions.
After this experience I would HIGHLY recommend volunteertourism to anyone who wants to see the world and make an impact at the sametime. Visiting a developing country will really open your eyes to what mattersthe most.
Hello!I hope all is well with everyone! I have been great. I just love summer time. It's probably the one season when I'm not cold, and I LOVE it!! It's also the only season you can get ice cream cones to eat in the park and REALLY enjoy them. Like I said...LOVE SUMMER!
Anyway, I just recently got the syllabi for the two class I'm taking this summer, which are in Africa in case you forgot! For those who aren't aware, syllabi (syllabus) are what professors give you at the beginning of the semester detailing what you're going to do in their class. They also usually have their contact info, office hours, grading scale, and tentative class schedule included. I found out what assignments I would need to complete in order to finish my degree along with the books I would need for the courses. The books are really what I want to spend most of my time talking about. I have bought books through a variety of sources during my time at BSU. I definitely hit up the bookstores, but I was able to find books for a lot cheaper online. I thought it might be helpful to list the bookstores, and the websites I've tried SOOO here goes:
BOOKSTORES
Ball State Bookstore (in the atrium)
http://bsu.bncollege.com/site/under_maintainence.html
This is normally the BSU bookstore website, but it is currently under construction. I've ordered things from them online, but most of the time I went in to buy things. I had trouble finding used books here, but in a pinch this was always the place I hit up.
T.I.S. Bookstore (in the village)
http://www.tisbookbsu.com/
T.I.S. is usually the bookstore I shopped at because I could almost always find the books I needed used. There is a significant price different between used books and new books. If you're paying for the books yourself then it really is going to make a big difference!
CBX Bookstore (in the village)
http://www.cbxbookstore.com/
CBX also has a lot of used books, but I sometimes had trouble finding the books I needed.
WEBSITES
half.com
http://www.half.ebay.com/
This is a division of ebay, and is usually very reliable with shipping. If there is ever a problem, which I've never had one, they always refund. (I've had friends who never got books before, but that is rare.)
amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com/
I have always had really good luck with amazon. They almost always have the book cheaper, and they are VERY reliable with shipping. Shipping is usually very fast, and the books are pretty cheap.
The biggest advice for buying books I can give is try to get used when you can, and sometimes you can see if the professor minds if you get an older edition (if you can get one that isn't the newest edition then they are SOOOO cheap!) Make sure you check with your professor if you want to get an older edition!!
If you have heard of other good book websites post them in the comments along with a brief description of the site!!
Check back soon for more updates! 14 days until the wedding!!!
Hello!
I hope this blog finds all of my faithful readers, along with newbies, doing well!
My summer has started off great. I have been busy, but able to enjoy all that's going on right now.
The wedding is 22 days away so I'm doing the finishing touches to make sure that all turns out beautiful.
Africa is 35 days away, and I am currently rushing around to get things done for that trip. I'm sure you'd all like to hear about wedding planning and how to deal with last minute craziness that surrounds a wedding, BUT I think hearing about how I'm getting ready for my study abroad trip is going to be much more relevant to your needs so here goes!
A few weeks ago I got to visit my doctor for him to say I was healthy enough to travel abroad. I believe Ball State does this for all study abroad trips, but I'm not 100% sure. After my trip to the doctor it was time to go get vaccinations so I wouldn't get any crazy diseases while I was working in Africa. Most doctors will give you these vaccinations, but they come with a pretty high price tag. I opted to go the Delaware County Health Department. The vaccinations that I needed were still expensive, but much less then they would have been if I would have asked my doctor to administer them.
After a few days of sore arms it was off to meet with my group of Africanites (like urbanites only we're going to Africa rather then Indy....cheesy, but it works.) We learned about the different requirements for class credit we were going to face, and then other important information about what our trip was going to look like. We also got to know each other. Three of us did Urban semester together so we already pretty much knew each other. There was another girl who I didn't know, but we all seemed to click right from the beginning.
As a group we decided that one of the most important things we could do for the students would be to bring some much needed supplies to the orphanage. We decided that we would take monetary donations along with items that the students needed. We would use the monetary donations to go purchase more items for the students. So far that has been taking up my time this week. I've been arranging different groups to speak with, and writing letters to share with businesses. It has been exciting so far, and I hope for a good response from the groups and businesses I am asking for donations from.
If any of you are interested in making a donation here is a list of items the students need:
Pencil Sharperners
Rulers
Protractor Kit
Calculators
Acrylic Paints
Small-medium painters cancases
Feminine pads
Shower baskets
Shampoo
Soap
Wash cloths and Towels
Calendars
Medicines: cough/cold/flu/sinus syrups, cough drops, headache medicine
Also, if you want to make a monetary donation please write checks to: Ambassadors for Children
Items and monetary donations can be sent to:
Anthony Kline
Department of Elementary Education
Teachers College 307F
Ball State University
Muncie, IN 47306
Any little bit will help, and I'll be posting pictures of the students receiving the donations when I get back! If you aren't able to donate then please be sure to keep us in your thoughts as we make this life changing trip!
Keep checking back for more exciting updates!!
Ruth
Just when you thought you were about to get rid of me I'M BACK FOR THE SUMMER! :)That's right...I'll be blogging all summer! I have some really exciting things happening this summer that I want to keep you all informed about. As a way to kick off my summer I thought I'd make a top ten list for things I'm excited about this summer...Here is my top ten list for this summer:10. Checking out "The Island" (It's this fun little smoothie place on the Cardinal Greenway by Olive Garden.)9. Playing with Madison around Muncie8. Riding my Schwinn Tandem with Steven!! (Steven found it for a steal, and he knew I'd wanted one FOREVER!)7. Not being super busy, but busy enough to have fun.6. Camping, hiking, and kayaking with the pack!5. Learning how to cook! (This will be my first time living on my own!!)4. Doing some reading for pleasure rather than class! (I've got some interesting books that I want to get my hands on!)3. Graduating from college!!2. GOING TO AFRICA!1. OUR WEDDING!If you kept up with my blog throughout the school year then you know that I am a month away from the wedding, and I'm so excited about it! Other then finishing up wedding plans I'm getting organized for a study abroad trip to Africa through Ball State. I'd like to spend a great deal of time this summer focusing on the process I'm going through to get ready for this trip because I think studying abroad is something a lot of students are interested in, but they aren't sure how to go about arranging everything. (So far it's been really easy!) I also want to spend time reflecting on what there is to do in Muncie during the summer since most of campus is empty. If there is anything that you have questions about OR anything that you want me to talk about then leave a comment!!I am really pumped to share what I'm doing this summer with everyone, and to answer any questions anyone might come up with!Keep checking back for more updates!Ruth
Well my friends the end of another school year is here. Yesterday was spring graduation, and I watched as so many of my classmates and friends received their degrees. It was a great day, but also a sad day because this means we are all going to be moving on and moving away. As I reflect over the relationships I've built, the memories I've shared, and the knowledge I've acquired during my time at Ball State I am overwhelmed. I have met people that will be part of my life forever. I've made memories that I will not soon forget, and I have learned more then I would have ever imagined. As I finish my last blog post I want to give this piece of advice:
Look at every opportunity as a chance to grow, and be willing to step out of your comfort zone. If you can do that then my hope is that your college career will be as rewarding as mine has been.
Best of luck to everyone, and thank you for following my blog as I went on my senior adventure!
Ruth
Hello!
First things first, I got proposed to for the second time in my life this week! The handsome little gentlemen stands at 4 ft. 5in., and is anxiously awaiting his ninth birthday. He didn't miss a beat on that rainy Tuesday morning when he came up to me and said, "Here Miss Zeilinga this is for you. I want you to have it." He handed me a strawberry ring pop and grinned at me. I thanked him, and he then said, "It's like the one your fiance got you. Only you can eat this one." I laughed and asked if this was a proposal, and you could literally see his little eight year old brain working. He looked up and said, "Well yeah. I want you to have it." Needless to say, Steven doesn't feel too threatened by the huge red ring. :)
Now on to some fun things that are happening! Before I share some very exciting news let me just say that 2009 may possibly be the BUSIEST year of my young life. It may also be the year that presents me with the most change at one time.
This year has started off with a very valuable learning experience, student teaching. I don't think I could have asked for a better classroom teacher, and a class that is so full of life and potential. I really have been experiencing the true meaning of teaching everyday.
The next big thing happening in my life is my marriage at the end of June to one of the greatest men I've ever met. :) We are so excited, and can't believe how lucky we both are.
And finally....
The latest life changing news is happening less than a week after Steven and I get back from our honeymoon. I am going with a group of education students and a very compassionate professor to Malawi, Africa to work with local orphans. I'll be finishing my college courses through this experience, and can't believe how lucky I am that I have a fiance who would let his new wife leave two weeks after the wedding. I know it's going to change my whole prospective on life, and it is going to be an experience that is going to benefit my future students in more ways than one. Pretty exciting isn't it?! :)
Being presented with this wonderful opportunity has made me reflect a lot on how much I have been able to do in the four years I've been at Ball State. If I had to give any advice to current and future students it would be to take part in things that are going to challenge you. Never be afraid to sign up for the professor that has a history for being hard because you never know when they are going to teach you unforgettable things. If you're an education major then don't be afraid to go into a classroom with underprivileged kids who have a reputation for being unruly. After all, they are going to give you the best stories to tell, and probably teach you more then you thought any child could teach you. (Urban Semester) Finally, think about the decisions you make every day so that when you look back twenty years from now you'll never say, "I wish I would have done that."
Getting very excited about the next few months,
Ruth
Greetings!
I hope this blog post finds you all doing well!
I am a little over four weeks away from being done with student, and I can't believe how quickly it all has gone. I can tell that I have grown significantly as an educator, and I am so ready to get my own classroom to try new things in.
A lot has been happening since my last post.
I received the very cool news that I am being recognized as an outstanding senior in elementary education. It feels great to know that professors think you're doing a nice job, and that you're going to do a nice job in the career that you've chosen.
Along with receiving that recognition I have been very busy tying up everything with wedding planning. There have been a few bumps along the way with plans, BUT I figure if little things like that happen then hopefully nothing big will happen the day of the wedding. Fingers crossed! 
I have also been preparing for the teacher fair. Building a resume was not fun, but it was pretty easy. The career center was a big help. I made a rough draft of my resume, and then emailed it to Jenni Smith. She was great. She let me know what I needed to fix, and made some easy suggestions for a better resume. I would highly recommend sending a resume to them to critique.
So along with planning my life out, I've been putting some long hours in the classroom. Here are some very recent photographs of what we've been up to in 2nd grade!
Clearly we all know where this is going!
Those pesky April showers (snow and rain as of late!)
A little Bloom's Taxonomy resource because I can never remember to ask questions at different levels!
We did problem solving with tangrams. They had a lot of fun with it, but who doesn't have fun in cooperative learning groups?!
I hid vocabulary definitions around the room, and the students had to be detectives and find them. Who knew how serious second graders would take this?!
More cooperative learning taking place. The key to this is partner clocks. If you're interested in learning about those let me know. They are seriously the answer to partner work!
We are taking the surprise out of report cards! Our class is able to track their grades so they know exactly where they are, and where they need to be. It is very cool to watch this system click with kids. Let me know if you are interested in learning more about grade graphing!
I hope the past few weeks has been as eventful for you as it has been for me. I know the next four weeks are going to fly so I will try to keep you posted on everything that is going.
Feel free to ask questions about college in general, student teaching, the teacher's college, wedding planning , or life!
Keep checking back for more updates!
Hello!
WHAT A BUSY MONTH! I guess the saying time flies when you're having fun is true. Student teaching has been amazing thus far. I can't believe how natural it is feeling to teach all day everyday, and how much faster the day goes since I've started being the full time teacher. We are less than a week away from our spring break, and it could not have come sooner. I am in need of some time to catch up on making the graphs and final documents for my LAMP project, and I need some time to tie up loose ends on the wedding planning. My spring break is two weeks after the BSU break, which will be nice because then all of my friends will be on campus while I am on break. This means between trying to refinish furniture that Steven and I acquired, finishing up wedding plans, and completing my unit...I'll be making some much needed visits to friends who may have forgotten I was still in Indiana this semester!
We finished up this huge moon unit last week so I thought it would be appropriate to share some picture with you all.
Enjoy, and please keep reading. (Now that my unit is somewhat finished I should be posting more regularly....hopefully!)
Students building rocketships. Notice the exhaust they are adding
on the back....a very nice touch!
The end results of our rocket building activity.
Students making craters in a shoebox with sand. They had to measure
the craters they made. It was a fun day.
Learning about Lunar Eclipses....
We had a day called "Pig Out on Books" in honor of the late
Dr. Seuss. My dedicated fiance, Steven, came into read with the kids.
It was really cute.
Holla!
I hope everyone is doing well. I am in the middle of student teaching, and I'm starting to feel the strain of writing all of the lessons except writing and spelling. I will take on spelling next week, and then the next week will be writing. That's when I'll be doing it all!
We are currently in the middle of my unit covering the moon. So far it has been great. We learned what the moon was like yesterday, and today we discovered the phases of the moon. Tomorrow we are going to write our own moon legends. The unit is going to last a little over two school weeks. It will be 10 days in all, but we have to miss a few days for various reasons. Like I said, it has been great so far, but I am ready to be finished with the whole LAMP project for student teachers.
I thought I would post a few pictures to keep everyone informed about happenings around the classroom! Enjoy!
The students passing out the Valentine's Day cards.
Moon things! It takes a very long time to hang 22 fishing lines from the ceiling!
More about the moon
Just a look into my personal life....I became an aunt AGAIN last week! Colton Royce is a healthy 9 lbs 15 oz baby boy. His parents and sisters are proud.
Hello!
Before I start this blog I just want to say that this is NOT a reflection of things I am in seeing in my classroom. I am also a little fired up so bear with me!
I am quickly seeing the many roles and expectations teachers have to fill and meet. Teachers can have to be mom (or dad), nurse, keeper of the peace, ketchup opener ( 
I'm becoming a professional at this!), professional, community builder, and colleague (to name a few) all while meeting the ever increasing demands of the state and federal government. This kind of environment can kill the enthusiasm, passion, and creativity of teachers and understandably so! As a pre-service teacher I have spent a lot of time reflecting on why exactly I'm signing up for a low paying career with so MANY demands (Clearly the students are a GREAT reason, but I was a bit nervous after what I've been seeing in schools). After all of this reflection time I think things were cleared up a bit on my way home this evening. Below are the lyrics to a song that was playing in my car, and I put the lines in bold that made me realize that I am making the right choice.
India Arie
"There's Hope"
Back when I had a little
I thought that I needed a lot
A little was over rated,
But a lot was a little too complicated
You see-Zero didn't satisfy me
A million didn't make me happy
That's when I learned a lesson
That it's all about your perception
Hey-are you a pauper or a superstar
So you act, so you feel, so you are
It ain't about the size of your car
It's about the size of the faith in your heart
(Chorus)
There's hope
It doesn't cost a thing to smile
You don't have to pay to laugh
You better thank God for that
(repeat)
There's hope
(Verse 2):
Off in the back country of Brazil
A met a young brotha that made me feel
That i could accomplish anything.
You see just like me he wanted to sing
He had no windows and no doors
He lived a simple life and was extremely poor
On top of all of that he had no eye sight,
But that didn't keep him from seein' the light
He said, what's it like in the USA,
And all I did was complain
He said-living here is Paradise
He taught me paradise in in your mind
You know that
(Chorus)
(Bridge):
Every time I turn on the T.V. (There's Hope)
Somebody's acting crazy (There's Hope)
If you let it, it will drive you crazy (There's Hope)
But I'm takin' back my power today (There's Hope)
Gas prices they just keep on rising (There's Hope)
The government they keep on lying
But we gotta keep on surviving
Keep living our truth and do the best we can do
(Chorus)
Stand up for your rights (echo)
Keep shining your light (echo)
And show the world your smile (echo)
In a world that feeds off negativity it really comes down to how you look at things. If your view is that things will stay the same no matter what you do then they will stay the same. If you come at life (or teaching) with a view that you really can be the difference and be the change you want to see then it's going to happen.
It's all about your perception.
Look for more pictures next week. We are having our Valentine's Day party so I'm sure there will be some really good ones!
As always...post your questions, comments, and thoughts!
Well we had another snow day this week along with a 2-hour delay. It was nice to have another day to work on things, but I am really ready for a regular week.
This week I got the opportunity to sub for my teacher. It was really great to get to have the classroom to myself to see how I would handle things. Being able to work in the classroom by myself for a day was really helpful in continuing to build strong relationships with my students.
Along with subbing, I have been taking a lot of pictures in the classroom.
ENJOY!
We were practicing vocabulary words.
I made this bulletin board. The students wrote about things they loved. It was a fun activity.
We have been getting the room ready for Valentine's Day.
The students had a lot of fun with the Valentine's Day decorating.
They worked really hard on their crafts. (We focused on them following directions.)
Here are some of the crafts.
They were discussing what they were making.
Keep checking back for more pictures. Also check out last week's entry for some good questions by Katie. (the comment section)
Hola faithfull blog readers! I hope this snowy Wednesday is treating you well. I woke up a 5:30 this morning and quickly flipped on the TV. I figured we would have a 2-hour delay this morning, but what a surprise to see that school was CANCELLED for the day. The professional side of me knew this would screw up our schedule for the week. It also meant the students would be wound up from their day of rest when we went back to school. However, the personal side of me, was screaming for joy. This day off from school meant I could write my lessons plans for the next week, and hopefully get a decent amount of work done on my unit plan. This day of planning would mean less work this weekend for me to do because contray to popular belief some college kids do homework on the weekend.
Anyway at about 8:50 I got a text message from the BSU safety service saying all classes had been cancelled. So far in my time as a student they have cancelled school on two seperate occasions. Once was for a HUGE blizzard that hit Muncie, and then this time for the crazy winter storm.
It's been a fun day, and I'm thankful for the chance to catch up on sleep and school work, but I know tomorrow (if we have school) that it is going to be a challenge to get the students focused.
Until then though....SNOW SNOW SNOW!
Keep checking back for new happenings around the classroom, and in my life!
HELLO!
Did you just hear that?! That was the sound of any social life I had exploding!
Student teaching responsibilities are starting to feel like a heavy load, and I'm only in the second week. I have taken over a few things in the classroom. There is little planning involved in what I am doing so far, but I am trying to get ahead on other assignments that will be coming up quickly. Student teaching is going to be a great experience, but it will be a busy one.
The semester breaks down to look like this:
Multiple Portfolios (developing, showcase, and digital......then somewhere I'm supposed to make a professional one)
A gigantic unit plan (the title unit plan for this project does not do justice to the work that will be put into this)that is confusing, full of detail, and will in the end be a very impressive document to show future employers.
and finally......LESSON PLANNING! I am most excited about this one because this is really where I'll get to have some fun. Don't get me wrong because I know the unit will be fun. The planning and other paper work that has to go into that particular project will probably take most of the fun out of it. The lessons and working with the kids everyday is going to be the highlight of the semester.
Can you tell I'm stressed?! Least we forget....I'm planning a wedding for June!
Keep checking back to see if I can keep my head above water this semester!
Until then how about some pictures of the new students and new classroom?!
New Classroom
Smiling for the camera
Giggling about something
Busy at work
Thinking about spelling words
Hello and welcome back!
After more then a month off (thanks to Urban Semester), I feel recharged and ready to begin student teaching. It is amazing how quickly breaks go by. Before I knew it I was back on campus for student teaching orientation. The next day I was off to my new school to start learning about what it takes to be a teacher. So far it is a lot different then Stout Field. The school is older, and is no where near as technologically advanced as my other school. That offers a new challenge that I will try to work around. Each school has it's perks though. I am finding my new school has a lot more experienced teachers who are very helpful. The demographics of my new school are also a lot different from Stout Field. I am also in a different grade level this semester. Last semester I was in first grade, and I am already seeing the huge jump the students make in second grade. Most of them are able to read and write, which is really going to bring a whole new element to my lesson planning.
I've been thinking a lot lately about the challenges my future career is going to present me with, and I thought I'd include this quote just for fun:
The Teacher Applicant
After being interviewed by the school administration, the teaching prospect said, "Let me see if I've got this right! You want me to go into that room with all those kids, correct thier disruptive behavior, observe them for signs of abuse, monitor their dress habits, censor their T-shirt messages, and instill in them a love for learning. You want me to check their backpacks for weapons, wage war on drugs and sexually transmitted diseases, and raise their sense of self esteem and personal pride! You want me to teach them patriotism and good citizenship, sportsmanship and fair play, and how to register to vote, balance a checkbook, and apply for a job. You want me to check their heads for lice, recognize signs of antisocial behavior, and make sure that they all pass the state exams. You also want me to provide them with an equal education regardless of their handicaps, and communicate regularly with their parents in English and Spanish by letter, telephone, newsletter, and report card. You want me to do all this with a piece of chalk, a blackboard, a bulletin board, a few books, a big smile, and a starting salary that qualifies me for food stamps?!"
I think I'm up for the challenge. :)
Keep checking back for more blog posts. I hope to get pictures of the new room up soon!
Finals week for many students is the most dreaded of all weeks. For me it has never been too bad, especially this year because I didn't have any finals for Urban Semester. Anyway! I thought I'd talk about somethings that I always found helpful when I was stressing about finals!
- Go to the gym
- Get a bite to eat
- Take a quick nap
- Turn on some quiet classical music
- Take a walk
- Give yourself PLENTY of time to study for each test
- Get projects and papers done as EARLY as you can
- Hang out with friends for a little while
- Eat some CHOCOLATE!
- Play a board game
- Watch some funny youtube videos like these:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTasT5h0LEg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLLBcAL8IdA
Remember, it's the work you put in during the semester that will really show during finals week. Don't wait until the last minute to start worrying about how you are doing in a class.
Congratulations to those people graduating!