Students across the country wait and anticipate the moment when they can finally say that they have completed another semester of college. The only obstacle standing in their way is the dreaded finals week. It’s incredible how only a few exams can control the path to our freedom. Here’s how the week before finals typically goes for the majority of us.

1. Finals are only one week away and it finally hits you. SH*T.

With all of those end-of-the-semester assignments, quizzes and projects, you lost track of time and didn’t realize how close finals actually were. Say goodbye to your social life for the next week.

2. You rush to the library to start studying, but your mind is still elsewhere.

You’ve been so preoccupied with other aspects of life, studying for finals is the last thing you want to do right now, and you will do anything to procrastinate and hold off for a little while longer.

3. But then you realize how much you work you actually have.

Crap, crap, crap. If only you had focused on studying those chapters rather than studying the words scratched into the cubicle walls in quiet study.

4. While studying begins (for real this time), your sanity ends as a result.

You find yourself basically living in the quiet study cubicles, not having showered or eaten an actual meal for a few days. #totalisolation

5. Just when you feel like it can’t get any worse, your friends ask you to go out with them.

Are they crazy? Don’t they have their own finals to study for? Finals are almost here, and no one’s got time for that.

6. But then you decide you need a break and just go anyway.

You’ve been glued to your cubicle chair for the past 12 hours straight; what’s the harm of having some quick fun?

7. After five minutes, you start to panic and ask yourself why you’re not studying right now.

Taking breaks are healthy during long study sessions, but your “break” lasted a little longer than planned. Probably not the best idea considering you still have two study guides, six chapters, and three practice exams to get through...whoops.

8. Oh crap, here comes the self-loathing and waterworks.

This is when you start to get frustrated to the point where you don’t even believe you can study and retain all of the material by the first day of finals anymore. You are hopeless.

9. The day finally comes and you’re like...

You studied for a week straight and slept a good five hours last night. You’re good, you’ve totally got this.

10. But during the first exam you’re like...

You knew you should have studied for that. Why didn’t you study for that?! *PANIC*

11. After all of your exams are over, you give yourself a pat on the back for not having a complete mental breakdown.

What a relief it is to have finals over with! This is the moment you wait for from the beginning of the semester.

12. But then you hear your friends talk about the exams and you realize you answered a lot of the questions wrong.

Listening to your peers talk about the exam only makes it worse. You’re better off taking a nap and going home to celebrate your (somewhat) defeat of finals.

Good luck everyone on your exams!