I have never seen as many memes and gifs regarding the difficulties of the college lifestyle on Facebook and Twitter as I have in these past three weeks. So, I will take a moment to share some of the golden ones because they hit way too close to home and because right now, I am using this article as a procrastination method from studying, but also struggling to not spend hours discovering new artists on Spotify, or watch Disney movies while eating dark chocolate.

Finals season is one of the most trying times of the semester. The stress of papers and exams becomes overwhelming. The lack of sleep drives students to madness. The amount of caffeine consumed increases our anxiety. Late night studying the day before an exam is more common than it’s been in the past months and junk food at 2am is way more appealing.

Realizing that the time spent adventuring and eating could have been spent on academics but not willing to give them up. The submitted grades from the semester as a whole suddenly matter a much greater deal. The last of the assignments are being turned in rushed and completed late or only seconds before the deadline. Motivation is a foreign concept. Mental breakdowns are frequent. Hysteria is setting in as a result of all of the above.

The worst part is that Christmas is so close. There are twinkling lights strung everywhere, and they mock me. Holiday songs are playing everywhere I go, but they remind me that I’m not home. A six week break from classes is so near. Being able to cozy up with my dogs and a good movie are not yet a reality. Not having to worry about the next due date is still not possible. But yet surviving this next week is so crucial in order to enjoy these things.

Well, that's a brief synopsis of what last week looked like in anticipation of this week and also my basic emotions until my plane lands and I am back in chilly northern California.