Collegiate Times

Laura Griffin, a sophomore HNFE major, leads a Zumba exercise class in the War Memorial gym.

With finals approaching, many students seem to drop off the face of the earth, staying shut behind their doors and glued to their desk chairs.

Students leave their rooms and the library scarcely, if at all, in efforts to face their looming exams. However, failing to take care of oneself during exam week can leave students overworked, unhealthy and fatigued.

This leaves many simply running out of steam. Many students overlook the importance of eating well, getting enough sleep and taking time to relax and have fun amid hours of studying.

According to the National Health Service, studies have shown that those who partake in moderate exercise at least two-and-a-half hours a week are calmer, more refreshed and significantly more alert when it comes to taking tests.

Virginia Tech’s Center for Recreational Sports recognizes the troubling tendency students have to neglect their health during exam week. They combat this by holding a “free week” during final exam season each semester at McComas and War Memorial gyms to provide students an outlet for stress relief and a much-needed study break.

Free week allows students and staff to try out any exercise class they would like without having to pay for a pass, as is protocol during the rest of the semester.

 “It’s a good way to come out, exercise and release all your finals stress,” said Michelle Marshall, a senior architecture major who works at War Memorial.

All of the classes that are regularly offered at both gyms are available for a trial run. The week is often met with a substantial turnout of students wanting to escape their textbooks.

Laura Griffin, a sophomore human nutrition, foods and exercise major, teaches six pilates and Zumba classes each week at War Memorial and finds that during the semester, many regulars come to participate in her classes.

“I really enjoy seeing people come back class after class after class,” Griffin said. “Then you get to know people by name and face. They become friends in a sense.”

However, during free week, new faces flood the gym and lines of people wait to attend classes to see if they would like to add them to their workouts. The first time Griffin taught Zumba at Virginia Tech was during free week, and she said she had a room full of dancing students who were pumped and ready to go.

“It was a little nerve-wracking teaching all those people, but there’s so much energy in the room, and it’s so much fun,” Griffin said.

Josh Bostic, a senior HNFE major, said he exercises frequently but has never taken a Zumba class, nor any fitness class at Tech for that matter.

“My friend is teaching one this week, though, and I was thinking about going to try it out,” Bostic said. “I go to the gym a lot because I have a hard time studying or concentrating when I don’t work out. I often go to clear my mind if I’m stressed out or have a lot of work.”

The long lines outside of all the classes show free week’s success in its initial goal of getting students active and trying new things in an otherwise stressful time. That said, students may want to show up at least 10 to 15 minutes before the start of a class to guarantee a spot in the room.

“It gets busy, but it’s really not insanely packed, and it’s worth it,” Griffin said. “I know a lot of people feel they don’t have time especially with exams coming up, but if you go to the gym for an hour, it will do you a lot of good. Everyone needs that break to go and have fun.”

Jimmy Hudnall contributed to this article.

A version of this article appeared in the Dec 7 issue of the Collegiate Times.