Birds are chirping, flowers are blooming, and the weather is finally warming up. A visitor to a college campus is shocked to see that on a beautiful, sunny Saturday afternoon, there is not a soul in sight. Then it dawns on him: finals week. The longest week of the year for a college student. The average bystander may not realize the chaos that is about to ensue, so just in case, here is an apology (in advance) for what he is about to witness.
Sorry for ignoring you.
Chances are we didn't see you, because we've been staring at our laptop screen for the past 24 hours and can't see anything except for the power point slides we have been laboring over. We probably didn't hear you either because all we can hear is the recording of our professors' lectures over and over in our heads. Or, we really just have no desire for human interaction.
Sorry for seeming self-absorbed.
On the off-chance that we did stop to talk to you, we most likely did not ask about your life whatsoever. We aren't meaning to be so narcissistic, but our brains are so full of everything academic that we aren't quite capable of thinking about anything beyond our classes and our pending GPAs.
Sorry for snapping on you.
We could be a little cranky for several different reasons: not having slept in the past 36 hours, stressing over everything we still have to learn, trying to coordinate our impending move-out. Most likely, however, our irritability is due to the fact that we haven't had time to eat. Being hangry can have tragic effects.
Sorry for the mood swings
Sleep deprivation affects everyone differently. Unpredictable mood swings are one of the most difficult symptoms to manage. Giggly and cheerful one minute, angry and bitter the next.
Sorry for venting to you about all of our problems.
You asked if we are excited for the end of summer. Simple enough. We say yes, but then we start talking about our move-out date, then our finals schedule, then how our crazy teacher decided to lecture on four more chapters during the final class, and suddenly we are crying on the ground in the fetal position at your feet. It escalates quickly. Oops.
Sorry if we smell strange.
Sadly the library has not taken our recommendation for shower stalls in the bathrooms.
Sorry for wearing the same clothes for the past week.
"Dress well, test well" is not currently in our realm of capabilities.
Sorry for stressing you out
We know that stress is radiating through all of our pores, and that stress is contagious. We are falling down a slippery slope of anxiety and tension, but we don't mean to drag you down with us.
If you can somehow manage to forgive us for putting you through hell just by witnessing all of this, thank you. We understand if it's just too much. But we promise, if you can get past this bump in the road— and we can sleep for about a week straight— we will revert from our current zombie-esque state back into the energetic, fun-loving, wonderful people you once knew and loved. At least until next semester.
