Summer is right around the corner. We can feel the warm May sun kissing our shoulders and hear kids splashing joyously into swimming pools. Unfortunately, we can’t get the reward of summer vacation without going through the big stretch of finals and the ups-and-downs of the end of the semester. Everyone knows it’s that time of the year when you’re going through these tell-tale signs…

1. You start seeing grades show up that you forgot existed.

Oh…did I really fail a pop quiz wayyyy back in January? Oops. Four long months of class can make you forget all of these things, especially when grades are suddenly being uploaded.There is so much knowledge to obtain, and trying to remember assignments from a long time ago can make the semester seem longer than it is.

2. You have three exams, two essays, and two presentations…all in the same week!

For some reason, every professor forgets that they have to put more grades in before the end of the year. You might find yourself having a major assignment due or difficult tests in every single class—literally the week before finals. What is sleep??? I have no idea.

3. You constantly calculate the lowest possible final exam grades to maintain an “A.”

College students tend to do this constantly. If you’ve been working all semester to grasp that “A” in Global Health class, it settles your brain to know that a significantly lower grade on the final will still allow you to keep your good grade. The worst case scenario is when you need to make a 125% on the final exam to get an “A.” Oops.

4. You laugh and cry within the same hour.

This actually represents my entire life; however, it is much more common during the end of the semester. You might find yourself bawling your eyes out because school is so difficult, but the support of your friends and organizations can even make this time of the year the most fun. Everything might seem stressful, but your besties can make everything better.

5. You can’t imagine going back to your hometown.

Living off at college quickly becomes so natural that it starts to feel more like home than your actual home. Being in the routine of going to your dorm or apartment after classes is a normal practice after doing it for nine months. You might be excited to go back to your hometown to see your family, but packing up all of your things and saying goodbye to your college town is actually a little tough.

6. You know that saying goodbye to your college friends is going to break your heart.

College is the best time of your life. You quickly realize that your college friends are your people. Three months is a long time not to see your best friends. The transition from seeing your hallmates or sorority sisters every single day to not seeing them for months is going to be awful. Living in your parents’ house has its perks, but absolutely nothing beats spending time with your college friends.

The end of the semester is crazy, hectic, and it might bring you to tears, but hang onto every single moment. Enjoy the chaos. Enjoy being with the people you’ve grown so close to in a few short months. It goes by quicker than you realize.