Whether you’re a freshman or a senior, a chemistry major or a music major, an early bird or a night owl, students at the College of William of Mary share a common experience: With December comes final exams, with final exams come stress and with stress comes a desperate and deep desire for delicious delicacies. Or, you know, just some good snacks. Here’s a breakdown of my personal favorite places and orders to keep me energized through finals, organized by the severity of exam-related predicaments.
Say you’re in hot water. You had the “oh, I should start studying” moment a couple of weeks ago, made a plan, have consistently said, “it’s fine, I’ll study tomorrow” every day since then and now you’re realizing that your only option from now until exams is to lock in. And before you ask, no, I have definitely never ever been in this position with any class. In this scenario, my best suggestion is a Wawa run. Requiring just a short walk along Richmond Road, Wawa is the college student’s dream: convenient and relatively cost-efficient. When it comes to quick meals, keeping in theme with being “in hot water,” excellent options include macaroni and cheese and ramen; all you need to turn these Wawa finds into delectable dorm dinners is some water and a microwave. While you’re there, you can also stock up on other snacks or beverages. Apple juice with a king-sized Almond Joy bar is my personal go-to for a late-night-Wawa-induced fuel, but their soft pretzels are also great if you’re looking for something with a little more sustenance.
Maybe, however, you’re feeling okay about finals. You’ve started studying, or you don’t have many exams to worry about. You have time to go places and get slightly elevated food, maybe even study with friends. Or maybe you need to be in a dynamic environment away from the alluring warmth of your bed to motivate you to concentrate — I definitely do. Either way, my favorite place to go, and best recommendation for either of these states, is Town Center Cold Pressed in the Sadler Center’s Lodge 1. Not only is the atmosphere incredibly conducive to productivity — if you can get a seat — but the food is good too! The “smuices” are full of fresh flavors (especially the Berry Blast, and there’s also a wide selection of coffee). Additionally, if you’re someone who benefits from little rewards as you study, ordering at the tablets makes that super easy! My favorite study sessions involve a bit of studying, ordering a coffee, some more studying, ordering an egg-and-cheese sandwich and then a last period of studying before I continue with my day. If we happen to get a particularly nice day out in early December, you can also take your food out to Sadler Terrace and do your studying there for a nice environment change.
Another option for this stage of feeling okay about finals is the Bake Shop. Yes, it’s a student favorite so there’s always lines, but going forces you to take a step off campus and interact with people. If you do go, don’t forget to order whatever seasonal lemonade is available! If you’re looking for lunch, I love either the veggie sandwich or a bagel with hot honey schmear. Lastly, if you’re looking for a snack, try whatever danish is available that day. While you’re there, maybe even grab a couple of bagels to go for your room!
For the last stage on this stress scale, let’s say you’re at the point in studying where you know everything you are going to know. You’re ready. That means it’s time for an off campus adventure! My number one recommendation would be to go to the one and only Trader Joe’s. Located just a short WATA bus ride away, Trader Joe’s has a multitude of snacks and treats to stock up on for a last-minute energy source before you head out to ace your exams. Almond-butter-filled pretzels, frosted shortbread cookies and Gone Bananas! are always in my cart.
However, if a grocery store isn’t your idea of an adventure, there’s also a bunch of places off campus to grab a nice full meal. The falafel at CAVA is some of my favorite restaurant falafel, Noodles & Company has just about every shape of pasta noodle you could want and Mellow Mushroom has an excellent “Great White” pizza.
Finally, when you put down your pencil or close your computer for the last time for a class, you deserve a little treat. Here are my top picks for places to grab something sweet! Kilwins sees me on a regular basis — their blueberry waffle cone ice cream is my absolute favorite. If ice cream feels too cold for the winter time, they also have a multitude of other treats to choose from. I also enjoy a raspberry iced tea from Aromas, a mini bundt cake from the front basket at The Cheese Shop or a peppermint hot chocolate from Starbucks!