Surviving Finals 

When planning out your studying, prioritize your hardest and most important finals. You might not have time to fully study for every class, so make sure you set aside enough time to review for the most important finals, and trust yourself for the others. – Elizabeth Grieve, Staff Writer

Making a routine is huge for me. During the semester classes and clubs create a structure and rhythm to the week and to life, when all of that falls away for the last week of the semester it can be a little jarring. I try to create new routines for myself. Get meals and the same time everyday, go to bed and wake up at the same time too. From there you can think about studying for certain finals at certain times too. Creating routines will make the studying process a lot less stressful and seem like a manageable process instead of trying to climb up a mountain that is a million feet tall. – AviJonah Holzman, Managing News Editor

Get enough sleep. A consistent lack of sleep, especially during finals season, snowballs into an inevitable breakdown. You will — and I mean will — break down if you are exhausted beyond a certain human threshold. Basically, if you want to make it through finals, you need to be alive to do so. It’s hard, but take care of yourself. That’s legitimately the best thing you can do for yourself during finals! – Cathay Poulsen, Chief of Copy

Illustration by Sophie Leong

Gift ideas that won’t break your bank

I would suggest making homemade cards with sweet messages to friends and family for the holidays! It’s relatively low effort and cheap, but they show you care! Pura Vida also has engravable bracelets that you can customize with a fun or meaningful message which are about $20! – Olivia Lee, Contributing Writer

Depending on your outlook on the phrase “time is money,” you might be interested in knitting or crocheting a few gifts for loved ones! Buying yarn to make a scarf or a hat is typically pretty inexpensive but it does require some followthrough. Regardless of how well it turns out, people always appreciate the sentiment. – Aliana Mediratta, Junior News Editor

One of my favorite gifts even when I’m not necessarily on a tight budget is making clay or ceramic items. Michael’s has isles full of air-dry clay or polymer clay (my favorite) in a rainbow of colors. You can create a cute keychain, a trinket box, earrings, or even customize a mirror that is personal and always appreciated. – Annabel Shen, Managing Scene Editor

STL Winter clothes must haves!

Turtlenecks and athletic material long sleeve shirts are a layering MUST! They’re super versatile and perfect for any winter outfit. Turtlenecks are also a fun way to repurpose summer and spring tops and dresses and avoid hypothermia. Scarves are also a fun accessory to pull together a look, and they can be styled in a whole bunch of ways! – Uma Simhan, Contributing Writer

I love a good oversized sweater and jeans for a cute and simple outfit! I also think thick, high quality socks are important for keeping warm in the chilly months! In terms of outerwear, I love L.L. Bean jackets (look out for sales though as they can get expensive)! – Olivia Lee, Contributing Writer

Illustration by Sophie Leong

How to celebrate the holidays in STL

The Garden Glow event at the Missouri Botanical Garden, which is free for freshmen through student transitions — last year there were s’mores, there’s a tour of a historical building, a hedge maze, and it’s really well done – Sophia Hellman, Contributing Writer

If you wanna see Christmas lights from the warmth of your car with your friends, check out the Winter Wonderland in Tilles Park. It’s an annual tradition for over 30 years and the entire park will be decked in festive lights. – William Labrador, Junior Scene Editor

Sledding down Art Hill is always awesome, so is seeing Christmas lights in various neighborhoods. In reality I spend my winters huddled in a corner waiting for the groundhog to tell me that spring is coming soon so that I can finally defrost and go back to being a normal functioning being.  – AviJonah Holzman, Managing News Editor