It can be hard to find motivation to study for finals.

This year, there will be a 12-hour Study-A-Thon from noon until midnight Dec. 11 in the Kent Student Center Ballroom to encourage students to start studying early for finals week.

This is the first time Kent State has ever hosted a university-wide study session, said Kevin Papp, event co-founder and director of governmental affairs.

Matt Munoz, one of Papp’s close friends and Delta Tau Delta fraternity consultant, inspired him to organize the Study-A-Thon with Alexa Ohlson, vice president of scholarship in the Panhellenic Council. Munoz hosted a similar study event when he was an undergraduate student at the University of North Dakota.

“When he (Munoz) told me about this, Alexa and I crafted the Study-A-Thon into what it’s going to be here at Kent,” Papp said.

The Study-a-Thon devotes 50 minutes each hour to quiet study time, while the final 10 minutes are for break. Both Papp and Ohlson are confident that students will respect the 50-minute quiet study period. They agree that the 10-minute break will act as a motivator to prepare for exams.

During the breaks, there will be snacks and coffee for students as well as a raffle. Prizes include:

Starbucks and Five Guys gift cards. Students who attend the Study-A-Thon receive a raffle ticket for each hour they spend at the event. The grand prize is a $300 book scholarship. Papp said the longer a student stays at the Study-A-Thon, the better chance he or she has at winning the grand prize scholarship.

The event is co-sponsored by the Interfraternity Council, the Panhellenic Council, the Kent Student Center, Dining Services, Undergraduate Student Government, the Center for Student Involvement and the Order of Omega. Each of these groups donated money for the Study-A-Thon budget.

Papp said even though the event is sponsored by several Greek societies, it’s not exclusively for those students; he encourages all Kent State students to attend the event.

“The event is open to all students,” Papp said. “Anyone is welcome to come and go as they please.”

Both Papp and Ohlson will monitor the event to make sure all goes according to plan, but they also intend to get some studying done in the 12-hour period.

“Having this event the Saturday before finals will hopefully get participants in the finals week mindset, as well as promote positive studying throughout the rest of the week,” Ohlson said. “My hope is that all participants leave the Study-A-Thon feeling more prepared or a step further ahead than when they walked in the door.”

Additionally, Papp advises all undergraduate students to start studying for exams early, even if they cannot make it to the Study-A-Thon. Papp said that it is more helpful to either make a study guide for each exam or to talk to professors on exam success tips instead of cramming, or pulling an all-nighter.

“I think one of the greatest tools a student has is to just talk to a professor ahead of time about the exam,” Papp said.

Both Ohlson and Papp said they hope there is a large turnout of students for this weekend’s Study-A-Thon. If this Saturday’s event is successful, he plans to continue it every semester.

“I think that any time students are able to get studying done ahead of time is always a big stress relief,” Papp said. “I certainly feel that this event will help them to do so.”

Contact Megan Wilkinson at [email protected].