Student Engagement and Activities (SEA) of San Jacinto College South Campus will host Blast Week May 1-4 to help students relieve end-of-term stress stemming from final exams.

Katherine Aguilar, an administrative assistant for SEA, said Blast Week features a series of daily activities where students can take a break from studying and decompress.

“In the past, some of our events have included coloring, stress balls, traveling coffee, snack attack, snack bar, San Jac trivia, and hand massages from the cosmetology department,” Aguilar said.

South Campus SEA Specialist, Jill Johnson, said at the end of each semester, students become anxious about assignments, exams, and final grades. In response, Blast Week’s organizers make a point to remind students of campus programs available to help them be successful and “plan and manage their time wisely.”  

“After a whole semester, some don’t even know about the Student Success Center or many resources that can help them if they are struggling,” Johnson said. “We help other departments or services get known to students; such as the Student Success Center with free tutoring.”

Meanwhile, SEA Coordinator on the South Campus, Daniel Byars, said Blast Week started several years ago as a collaborative initiative between First Year Experience, now called Orientation and Campus Tours, and SEA, then known as Student Life.

“While the specific events and activities change year to year, the overall format has stayed the same,” Byars said. 

This year will feature trail mix snacks on May 1 followed by coloring activities May 2. May 3 will offer students take-home bath bombs or scented bubble bath tablets, while May 4 will host the cosmetology department for hand massages.

“The attendance for Blast Week has grown,” Aguilar said. “Each semester more students become aware of our event and participate.”

In the future, Byars said, he and his colleagues hope to work closely with other campus departments to offer new and innovative ways to help students prepare for final exams.

Blast Week takes place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on May 1 through May 4 in the second-floor lobby of the Academic Hall (S8) on the South Campus.