Emotional Stages Of Studying For A Test

Nobody likes studying and anyone who says they do is probably lying or insane. It's nearly impossible to avoid it, though, especially in college. College is basically testing overload and with all the exams, midterms, and finals all of which are on top of regular homework, research projects, lab reports, and papers. It's a lot to do and it seems like everyone has a different approach to how to best prepare for an exam, but everyone goes through the same emotions as they prepare for a test regardless of how well prepared they seem.

The professor announces a "reminder" that a test is next week

I understand that it's been in the syllabus since the beginning of the semester, but I didn't read the syllabus. Who actually reads the syllabus? I'm so not ready for this and there's only one week till the test.

Why is no one else around me freaking out?

Okay, apparently some people actually read the syllabus. Wait, did the girl behind me just tell her friend she's been studying for weeks. Oh my god, who does that?

Everything is fine. I'm not in denial at all.

Okay, okay. This totally isn't happening. Obviously, the professor is playing some kind of elaborate practical joke on every one in the class. Maybe we'll all show up for the exam and our professor will tell us it was all to mess with us.

Maybe everything isn't okay. I should probably come up with some kind of plan.

Planning is so much easier than studying and scheduling out every minute of my life for the next week seems like a totally productive use of my time. Hopefully, I'll actually stick to this schedule because it's never worked before, but that doesn't mean I'm not going to try.

Inevitably failing at the study plan and ending up on Facebook

I'll just check my Facebook quickly and maybe my Instagram. It will only take a couple of minutes. I deserve a study break.

Oh no. How have two hours already gone by?

I was just on Facebook for a minute and now it's 9 p.m.? Where did all the time go? How did this happen? I still have so much work to do.

Trying to study

But seriously who knows how to study?

This is so boring. So so boring.

There has to be a more interesting way to study other than reading the textbook and making millions of flashcards. All this paper is killing the environment and studying is killing my will to live.

It feels like I've been studying for so long, but only five minutes have passed

How long is this going to take? And, more importantly, how do I know when I'm done studying? Does studying even have an end?

I'm finally in the zone. Studying isn't so bad after all

The perfect study playlist makes everything more fun and everything on the flashcards is finally making sense. Maybe this isn't all bad. I should do this more often.

Finishing up studying for the night

I got this! I am so prepared for this test that I know I'm going to ace this and my parents will finally stop harassing me about why I'm not doing better in school. This is going to be so great.

After spending a few more days studying

Studying is the worst. I never ever want to do this again.

The night before the test

What have I been studying? None of this makes any sense and the test is tomorrow morning. I'm going to fail.

Cramming because, after looking at the material again, none of it makes sense

Where is all the time going? I've only been looking at this book for five minutes and suddenly an hour and a half has gone by!

The morning of the test

So tired. So very tired and the exam is in 30 minutes. No time for breakfast. Only time for coffee.

Ten minutes before the test

I'm not ready. I'm going to fail and my whole life is going to be over. I'll either live in a box under an underpass or I'll have to start trying really hard to marry rich. That's what I'll do, I'll marry rich.

After the test

That wasn't so bad, but I never want to do it again. Studying is the worst.