You made it and we couldn’t be prouder. To help get you through the finals week finish line, we have some virtual study breaks for you to try.

Send a Pet Gram!- Feeling stressed? Need a pick me up or know someone else who needs a a dose of serotonin? Send yourself, a friend, a coworker, or whoever else a pet gram to make them smile.

Color our Collections– for the past few years, Special Collections participated in a week long, social media coloring fest. You can print out and color items from our special collections and archives. And to get you in the Mizzou spirit, there’s a homecoming edition featuring drawings, cartoons, and images from the Savitar, the yearbook of the University of Missouri, published from 1894 to 2004.

Library Ambiance– miss the sounds of the library while studying? One of our favorite things to do is pull up some videos on youtube that mimic the sounds of the library, coffee shops, or our house common room. We’ve curated a list of our favorites to share with you.

Finals Jam Playlist– need a playlist to help you study? We got you covered. This is a list of some of our favorite songs. If you have a suggestion let us know!

Virtual Puzzles– If puzzles are your thing, virtual puzzles can be a nice break from studying. You can even work on the Ellis Library Grand Reading Room.

Animal Cams at the St. Louis Zoo– Animal therapy is backed by science and instantly  makes you feel better.

Stop, Breathe, Think– This website and app help us get into the right frame of mine and we hope it helps you as well.

If in-person activities are more for you, several of our libraries will have some stress relief activities:

• Ellis Library
  • Tuesday December 14th: Random Act of Snacks- we will be handing out GoPo popcorn, until supplies run out
• Engineering Library
  • Monday December 13th, 11-1pm: Hot Cocoa Bar, until supplies run out
  • Tuesday Dec. 14th 2-3pm: first 50 people get to take a plant home
  • Coloring pages and origami study buddies
• Health Sciences Library
  • Smores Trail Mix goody bags until supplies run out
  • Zen garden, sensory bin, puzzles, and coloring pages

It’s that time of the semester when you are most likely thinking about your final papers. We’ve got several guides to make the writing process easier.

Finding Sources

We suggest starting by looking at Databases by Subject  in your subject area. This is a quick way to find the best databases that fit your topic.

Citing Sources

Citation Styles & Tools: Citation Styles: The Basics – See tabs for APA, MLA, Chicago, and specialty citation formats.  You can also learn more about how our databases help you cite the sources you find.

Paraphrasing vs Plagiarism

Curious about the difference between paraphrasing and plagiarizing?  Check out our plagiarism tutorial and other resources here.

Writing Help

Did you know there’s a Writing Center site in Ellis Library in the Info Commons? You can sign up for a writing center appointment here.

As always, your Mizzou Librarians are available to help you through MU Connect and 24/7 chat.

No question is too big or small. We are here for you!