Students journaled about self-improvement and learned how to manage their stress at an event on the Arnold campus on Dec. 7.

First-Year Experience Assistant Sydney Klabnik organized the event “Let’s Write” with Amaranth literary journal members, who prepared for students to answer. 

“Especially during weeks like this where people are getting prepared for finals,” Amaranth Managing Editor PatrickCaswell, a second-year creative writing student, said. “We often forget to take time for ourselves and an hour where you listen to some smooth jazz and just write.”

Students had the option to answer a variety of prompts, including a “want to-do list” or writing about being present in the moment. The prompts focused on stress, confidence, comfort and meditation. 

Klabnik,  a second-year psychology student, said her goal was for students to unwind and “that people got to meet some students that they didn’t know before and hopefully have fun.”

Students said the event was helpful, especially during finals season when they feel stressed.  

“It was nice to just take a moment and write what came to my mind without pressure,” second-year graphic design student Maggie Gray said. “I definitely want to continue doing this. Like, I feel like it’s good to just, like, take a moment.” 

Connor Curran, a first-year secondary Spanish education student, agreed, saying, “There’s a lot of times where we are so busy in our lives, and just writing down a list of things that you need to do is really helpful.”

Curran, the Student Government Association’s executive vice president, said this isn’t only First-Year Experience event that has helped him feel better.

“I’ve gone to [Klabnik’s] previous stress relief events, and they’ve all been pretty successful,” Curran said. “And I think it’s a really good opportunity for the students to have events like this.”

The meeting was the last in a series of self-care-based events First-Year Experience hosted this semester.