Let’s face it: exam season is probably the most stressful time of the year. In the face of such harrowing times, every student has their own ways of coping; whether it’s screaming along to their favorite song or bawling their eyes out over Quizlet flashcards. However, Huntington Beach High School’s (HBHS) Link Crew offered some relief, hosting “Cookies & Cram” in the Student Center the day before finals kicked off. From 1:40 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Jan. 23, students ‘crammed’ before exams while enjoying snacks with friends.
“Cookies & Cram” is a school-wide study session to help students prepare for finals. This is accompanied by various snacks including chips, hot chocolate—and of course—cookies, to encourage attendance and participation. Students from the National Honors Society (NHS), as well as upperclassmen, gave their time to tutor in exchange for extra credit and volunteering hours. Members of Link Crew collaborated to run the event by setting up snack tables, tutoring sections, and a stress-management booth run by the Wellness Center.
Senior Link Crew member Alexander King said, “The team aspect is pleasant, and everyone works together. There is not as much reciprocation from students studying, but the team works really well and smoothly.”
Some students abused the resources in the space instead of using the opportunity to prepare. A few Link Crew members found this frustrating, including Claire Main, the teacher behind the Link Crew program.
“[A] struggle we’ve faced is trying to limit students to 2-3 snacks each. A lot of students come in just for the snacks and don’t use the time and space for what it’s intended to be,” Main said.
Despite this, there was one definite success at “Cookies & Cram”—the therapy dogs. Several dogs accompanied the students, one of them being Noble, a 12-year-old labrador retriever. Noble visited other schools earlier in the week and has been acting as a guide dog for many years, according to sophomore Kamryn Coglianese.
Many students found comfort in the dogs’ presence. Cailyn Stires, junior, said, “My favorite part is definitely the dogs!”
Freshman Adelina Rehberger also said, “I thought [the dogs] were very friendly and they definitely helped me to decompress.”
For the most part, students felt the Wellness station, the dogs, and the treats helped create a productive environment where they could get work done and study. “It’s actually made me focus,” said Stires, “I’m in here and other people are doing work so I actually have to sit down and do it, it made me feel productive.”
This, overall, created a feeling of solidarity among students. Preparing for finals week can be tough, but together, it felt a bit easier. “It’s nice to know that other students might be feeling stressed and well and are also trying to get things done,” Rehberger said.
The fall 2024 “Cookies & Cram” certainly had its challenges, but in the end, it was a success in helping students prepare for the upcoming exams.
