You know that time in life when you're happy, and your health is great, and you're a little less broke than usual, and there are no deadlines or intense pressure that push you to drop out and becoming a stripper? That is the time before and after finals. Finals are the death of every college kid. Actually, death seems easier to deal with.
The main thing I've noticed about finals week is that it seems like you're living in an alternate universe, and it's one of the greatest things about finals. For example, if I were to spend the week in my hometown during finals, everyone would look at me like I'm a crazy person. People would wonder when the last time I showered was, or if I got dressed in the dark. People would stare at me in dismay if a donut in the grocery store sparked a mental breakdown, and the guy at the car wash would wonder why I have seventy-two empty coffee cups in my car.
But finals week on campus, or at least in your college town, is completely different. Everyone is crying - and I mean EVERYONE. The girl sitting next to you in class crying? Just nod and cry together. If you wear the same outfit five days in a row, no one in class will judge you because they're probably doing the same thing. We're like an unspoken pact, and we stick together. No one is yelling or laughing because we're all quietly studying and crying. No one is going for a jog because it's cold out, and we haven't eaten in three days, so no one has the energy to go for a jog. If you see someone napping on the floor, you can probably join them. Coats make great pillows.
The one great thing about finals is that we all go through them together. We all have our own struggles and deadlines, but we're out here struggling and dying together. We aren't going to judge you if you cry in the library, or sleep in the library, or scream in the library - okay, you can pretty much do anything in the library without being judged. Fall asleep halfway through your sentence? Don't worry, dude, I wasn't listening anyway.
Campus might feel a little lonely and small at times, but finals week really makes you appreciate other college students. Finals week reminds you that you aren't alone, and you aren't crazy, even if that's how you're feeling lately.
Finals week sucks, and we all know it. We've all been through it, and we will continue to do so. If you aren't taking finals right now or ever, be supportive to your friends and family that are going through them. We miss the things we used to take for granted every day like sleep, healthy food, parties, socializing, and most importantly - our sanity. Let us stress and be dramatic because pretty soon, it'll all be over.
