BEYOND the BOOKS
Surviving midterms
Chillin’, video games, and ‘small parts of heaven’ By Charlie Cassoli ’15
During the two-week period of midterm exams, students study for hours on end in order to prepare for tests and various assessments
During this intense time, many students focus themselves on
study breaks. Once completed, the torturous week is drowned out by favorite experiences and activities.
Patrick Adamo ’15 knows what he enjoys most about the weekend
after exams. “After a long week of studying, I think most students will agree that the best thing to do is sleep,” he replied with a smile.
For Kirk Meyer ’15, “the weekend after exams, video games are
the way to go.” Kirk’s response seemed to be popular throughout the student body. “And nothing breaks the tedious study hours like some country music,” he added.
Many others favor spending some time outside and getting back
into the usual swing of sports and athletics. Brandon Johnston ’14 prefers “playing basketball and spending some time chillin’ and hanging out.”
TOP Nicholas Rinaldi ’22 joins a Freestyle troup member in an improvisatory sketch. BELOW Enjoying Freestyle’s visit are, left to right, Parker Russell ’21,
Carter Bagaria ’24, George West ’21, Andres Cevallos ’21, Gabriel Lopez ’24, and Zane Saad ’24.
As for a more immediate approach, “study breaks” are small
periods in-between schoolwork that allow students to enjoy some down time.
Jesse Tswamuno ’16 described his study breaks as “small parts
A Freestyle Approach to Learning
of heaven in a very long week.”
Members of New York City’s Freestyle Repertory Theater
visited Brunswick’s Lower School in March to introduce
While studying it is important, Jesse said it’s equally important
to schedule time for your brain to recuperate from the bombardment
students to the engaging and imaginative experience
of information it receives during exam week.
of participating in improvisational theater. Since 1988,
Freestyle’s troupe has captivated students by involving
That view has been backed up scientifically. It’s also the view
of Upper School math teacher Poonam Gupta.
them in on-the-spot theatrical improvisation.
B
“Every now and then a break is necessary for a student who is
studying,” she said. “Not only do breaks allow time for sleep, play, and chilling, but they serve as goals a student can look forward to, when they are under pressure.”
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