Last month, as students around the nation hunkered down for final exams, Rensselaer held a series of social events and study programs to help students de-stress during the final exam reading days Dec. 9-10.

On Dec.10, the “Late Night Breakfast” event (in its third year) was held in the Commons Dining Room. Students had an opportunity to sample a menu that featured a variety of breakfast favorites, including made-to-order omelets, scrambled eggs, hash browns, bacon, sausage, French toast and waffles with toppings, and more.

The event drew more than 750 students. To make the event more festive, WRPI, the student-run radio station, was on hand to play music. Taking a break from serving homemade cinnamon rolls, President Shirley Ann Jackson led students in the “Electric Slide.” More than 100 students participated in a pajama contest. Additional activities included a tater tot toss contest and an egg race.

In addition, a nutritionist was on hand to help students think about healthy habits during finals. The “Late Night Breakfast” event was hosted by Hospitality Services at Rensselaer. To support the event, members of the administration, faculty, and staff helped to serve the students.

Beyond the breakfast event, several resident assistants hosted a series of “Finals Food Breaks” in the residence halls to make sure that residents took time out to relax before hitting the books again.

Additional stress-relief programs included “Study Days @ the Heffner Alumni House,” coordinated by Rensselaer Red & White Student Organization. The Mueller Center also held a series of “Stress Relief Days” activities for students. Offerings included free fitness classes, free chair massages, and biofeedback and relaxation sessions. Students also had an opportunity to participate in a series of open recreation athletic activities, including indoor soccer and basketball.

To further help with stress relief, students carved out time to make their own smoothies with graduate student members of the Society of Women Engineers, and tried their hands at making Play-Doh stress balls and finger painting.