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Badgers buckle down for finals

In study pods, on the Terrace, at the libraries and everywhere in between, Badgers are getting ready for the semester’s last hurdle: finals.

Commencement is in sight for some, and the promise of summer is in the air. But first, Badgers have one more hurdle to clear: finals week. Together and alone, in the libraries and on the Terrace, students are working hard — and taking a few breaks with new furry friends — to finish the semester strong.

A group of students study together with laptops open at a table in a crowded library common area. One student is standing and smiling as looks over another's shoulder at his laptop.
Finals prep, but make it a team sport. Undergraduate students Brandon Demuro, David Greenberg, Riley Jacob, Dillon King, Owen Mckinnell, Ainsley Northrop, Matthew Mayer, and Lucas Simone gather in College Library to study for an upcoming statistics exam. Photo: Taylor Wolfram / UW–Madison
Two students stand at a dry erase board. One draws the diagram for a molecule while the other reads from her notes.
Sophmores Macy Neitzke and Meredith Pansegra practice balancing chemical equations for their final exam in organic chemistry. Photo: Taylor Wolfram / UW–Madison
A student with headphones on takes paper notes while sitting outdoors at a metal table on a sunny terrace. His headphones and laptop cover are full of stickers, including a red UW W.
Sophomore Jackson Povletich enjoys the Memorial Union Terrace while studying engineering mechanics. Photo: Taylor Wolfram / UW–Madison
A student sits by herself on a grassy lawn listening to headphones and taking notes on paper.
When in doubt, there’s always space on Library Mall for a study session. Photo: Taylor Wolfram / UW–Madison
Two students taking notes in class have the same posture: heads down, face resting on their palms as they write paper notes.
Heads down, students take their final notes of the semester. Photo: Jeff Miller / UW–Madison
Three people sit on the floor around a large dog lying calmly on the carpet. One person holds the leash while others gently pet the dog. Chairs and personal items are visible nearby.
A calming presence during a busy time, pup Kota provides a welcome distraction. Part of the School of Nursing Wellness Series, Dogs on Call invited students to stop by Cooper Hall and spend time with four-legged visitors. Photo: Xiaomeng Shen / UW–Madison
Close-up of a cow’s nose and face at the edge of a fenced barn aisle, filling most of the frame. Behind the cow, several people reach through the fence to pet the cow inside a large indoor agricultural space.
Freshmen Olivia Chenier, Josie Lund and Ellie Huber take a study break with Lydia, a 4-year-old UW dairy cow, in the Stock Pavillion as part of a finals week event hosted by the UW Research Animal Resources and Compliance department. Olivia Chenier said, “Finals have been stressful, so we figured, why not go pet some cows?” Photo: Taylor Wolfram / UW–Madison
A serene study scene with students sitting far apart at cafe tables in front of a floor-to-ceiling glass window that looks out onto a Tudor-style limestone building.
Hiram Smith Hall, part of the life sciences communication department, offers a quiet and classic backdrop for students study in the Microbiology Sciences Building. Photo: Taylor Wolfram / UW–Madison
Busy study area with people seated at shared tables using laptops and notebooks. In the foreground, a person wearing over‑ear headphones writes on a laptop with a stylus. Water bottles, chargers, and personal items rest on the table.
Juniors Simone Nowinski (left) and Madeline Koppes (right) study for physics and anatomy exams. Photo: Taylor Wolfram / UW–Madison