Midterm examinations took on a familiar rhythm of hurried footsteps, last-minute reviews, sleepless nights, and students clutching their notes as they made their way to examination rooms.
Yet amid the rush, even in a week when everyone seems preoccupied with keeping up, Viscans found ways to look after one another—a free cup of coffee, a scoop of ice cream, a quiet place to study, or a ride home can make an exhausting week feel a little more manageable.
Across campus, student-led organizations are finding their own ways to ease the burden of examinations, turning concern for fellow students into tangible acts of care. Their approaches may differ, but they share a common understanding: sometimes, students need more than encouragement to keep going.
A Hand to Lean On
When lessons grow harder to understand, sometimes, the best way forward is to learn from one another.
On October 1–2, Viscan Eruditos, the guild of DOST scholars at VSU Main Campus, held the seventh iteration of Project Hunat, a student-led peer tutorial program conducted in collaboration with the Faculty of Engineering Supreme Student Council (FE-SSC) and other campus organizations.
Launched in May 2024, the program helps students bridge learning gaps and review lessons ahead of examinations. Its seventh iteration focused on precalculus, differential calculus, and integral calculus. Derived from the Visayan word “hunat,” which refers to stretching or exerting effort before a challenge, the program reflects the preparation examinations demand and the value of sharing knowledge with fellow students.
Beyond helping students prepare academically, FE-SSC also addressed their need for rest and support through Project SaFE Space: Rest and Reset. Led by its Committee on Student Welfare and Development, the three-week initiative ran from September 28 to October 16.
From September 28 to October 2, the council opened its office as a study area for students. During midterm week, from October 5 to 9, it offered free malunggay pandesal and coffee, alongside a freedom wall for students to leave and read words of encouragement.
From October 12 to 16, the initiative is set to continue with free ice cream on Monday at 12:30 p.m., a movie screening at the FE office from 5 p.m. onward, and Latag, featuring card games, board games, and group sharing.
When knowledge is shared and care is freely given, even the most challenging lessons become easier to face together.
Comfort in Every Scoop
Sometimes, relief comes in the simplest forms.
For the Faculty of Management and Economics Supreme Student Council (FME-SSC), it came in a scoop of ice cream through FMEreeze: Freeze the Stress. Held from 3 to 5 p.m. on the final day of midterm week, the initiative gave FME students a chance to unwind and to cool down with free ice cream after their examinations.
“FMEreeze was not just about giving away free ice cream, but also providing an opportunity for students to take a moment, breathe and take in the present moment,” FME-SSC President Maxene Sophie Perez explained.
The Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences Supreme Student Council (FHSS-SSC) offered similar comfort through its four-day ProjectSilong, which provided coffee, ice cream, bread, palamig, biscuits, candies, and affogato to students navigating their academic responsibilities.
FHSS-SSC President Karl Tayoni shared that the project grew from student leaders’ own experiences with academic exhaustion and their desire to remind students that they were not alone.
“This project is rooted in experiences we, as students, know all too well. As student leaders, we share the same struggles and the same need for comfort after a long, tiring day,” FHSS-SSC President Karl expressed.
Whether through an afternoon treat or refreshments offered throughout the week, these initiatives created small opportunities for students to pause before returning to their responsibilities.
A Room to Breathe
Beyond refreshments, students also need study places and resources to prepare for examinations.
The Faculty of Agriculture and Food Science Supreme Student Council (FAFS-SSC) responded to these needs through SEEDS 1.0: “Service Enhancement for Exams and De-Stressing Support.” Despite limited resources, it provided an air-conditioned study lounge, charging stations, free water and coffee, light snacks, candies, free printing, and mini-games such as coloring activities, Sudoku, and word searches.
By bringing study essentials and recreational activities together, it offered students more than a place to review. The initiative brought study essentials and short breaks together in one space.
Meanwhile, the Faculty of Natural and Mathematical Sciences Supreme Student Council (FNMS-SSC) continued its tradition of offering free refreshments through “FeNomNom.” FNMS-SSC President Brylle Ebrera said that the initiative recognizes the physical and mental strain of long study hours, offering refreshments to help students relax and recharge.
Other organizations also joined the effort, including the Faculty of Forestry and Environmental Sciences Supreme Student Council (FFESS-SSC), which offered free ice cream through Cone-nection, and the Development Communicator's Society (DeCSo), which launched its first ever episode of the DecSoothe initiative, serving free champorado to their fellow students.
Together, all these initiatives show that beyond the lessons reviewed and examinations taken, midterm week is also a story of Viscans looking out for one another.
What Carries us Through
No scoop of ice cream can erase a week's worth of examinations. A cup of coffee cannot finish a reviewer, and a tutorial cannot guarantee a passing score. Still, these gestures can make a demanding week feel less isolating.
Behind each initiative, student leaders and volunteers who understand the exhaustion, pressure, and uncertainty that accompany academic life turn this shared understanding into practical support for the fellow students. It is the spirit of “gikan sa estudyante, para sa estudyante”—from the students, for the students—made visible in the everyday moments that might otherwise go unnoticed.
Midterms will still demand preparation, perseverance, and long hours of studying. But somewhere between examinations, students can find a moment to breathe, someone willing to help, or a community ready to offer support.
And knowing that someone is willing to show up makes all the difference.