As finals week peers its ugly head, students once again turn to the sweet release that is television. While students’ anxiety and worries rise, so do streaming services’ watchlists as several Rowan students tune in to their favorite shows to help cope with the stress of finals. While the pressure can be overwhelming, comfort shows can be the calm in the storm of a semester that comes to a close. Whether it’s an old favorite or even something new, TV for many is a strong coping mechanism amid late nights of studying and cramming.

“I’m rewatching some shows on Disney+. I’m currently rewatching ‘Wandavision,’” said David Brodecki, a junior biological science major here at Rowan. “Other than that, maybe the ‘Owl House.’”

Kaiden Stafford, a freshman law and justice major at Rowan, is also rewatching his favorite show to help with finals week.

“I started watching ‘Breaking Bad’ again like mid-late third season or something,” Stafford said. “Oh, I started watching ‘Invincible,’ I’m almost done with that, it’s really good.”

Meanwhile, Dale Bumbaco, a senior finance major at Rowan, spends his downtime mostly watching comedy shows such as “The King of Queens.”

“It’s just a funny show. It’s a good time, and it’s short too,” Bumbaco said. 

Skyler Gatti, a junior majoring in marketing, is also using television to help with the upcoming week of exams.

“I like to watch the same things over and over again. Right now I’m watching ‘Game of Thrones’ during finals,” said Gatti. “I think it helps me because I already love it, so it just kind of brings me joy.”

Many students around campus find themselves revisiting many old favorites, and it’s easy to see why. For some, it’s just background noise while studying for that final exam, for others, it’s a simple yet dependable escape from the pressure of the end of the school year. 

“I’m currently watching ‘The Last of Us.’ I think it’s just a really good show overall. And a show that I watch to decompress is probably like an oldie but a goodie, the classic ‘Scooby-Doo’ show,” said Cameron Arnuy, a junior radio, television, and film major.

Luca Marzulla, a junior writing arts major at Rowan, turns to his comfort show, “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” to get a quick laugh and relieve stress during tough times.

“It’s probably my favorite show during this week,” said Marzulla. “It’s a really good way to kind of keep you calm; that’s really the key to finals week just remain calm and be confident in what you do.”

Finals can be incredibly stressful as the crescendo of a semester’s worth of work and studying comes to an anxiety-inducing halt, which is why it’s so important to give yourself a break. With finals and some people’s last days on campus, students are encouraged to take a step back. While this week is very important and should be taken seriously, so should your mental health. After all, finals week comes and goes, but comfort shows will always be there for you. 

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