Ever since I began watching Spongebob, I always related to the title character the most. He is silly, free-spirited, and loved by everyone. Except, of course, by his neighbor, Squidward Tentacles.
As a child, I saw Squidward as a downer, stubbornly avoiding Spongebob's earnest attempts at establishing friendship. Whether it be refusing to go "jellyfishing" or choosing not to sleep over for some hanging out with his neighbors, Squidward is the quintessential grump.
However, as the years passed, I started relating to Squidward more and more. I understood his love of sleep and alone time. I finally began to understand why Squidward acts the way he does.
So I've come to a conclusion: As we age, we become less Spongebob and more Squidward.
That being said, Squidward's antics can definitely be applied to the life of a college student. Here are a few times that Squidward embodied the emotions of a student during midterm season.
1. The vague stress that comes from knowing you should be studying but not actually doing it.
A week or two before the test, professors start reminding you that the exam is coming up. You figure that you're fine and that you'll start studying the few days before the test. But there's always a little voice in the back of your head telling you that you really should start studying now. The voice is probably right, but you're so set on your idea that you'll be perfectly fine with cramming the night before that you end up procrastinating, which results in a vague feeling of stress that follows you around.
2. The caffeine-fueled 3 a.m. study sessions.
You try to cram as much information into your head as you can in the little time you have left, but after too much caffeine and copious amounts of stress, it's hard to concentrate on anything besides how screwed you are.
3. The accompanying existential crisis.
After many hours of studying with seemingly little progress, you start fearing that you're going to fail the exam, then the class, and then that your GPA will nosedive, and you won't be able to get into grad school or get the job you've always wanted, or even graduate college at all. Word to the wise: your entire future is not riding on your Econ 101 midterm, even though it might seem like it during your caffeinated stress fest.
4. Waking up on the day of the test.
After the few hours of sleep that you barely managed to get, it's finally time to take the test. Hopefully, you don't sleep through your alarm or forget your scantron and a #2 pencil.
5. Your brain during the test.
This one is self-explanatory.
5. The uncertainty.
This is the stage that follows the actual test taking. You feel uncertain about your score and second guess your answers but there's nothing you can do about it, so you just have to live with the uncertainty until scores come out.
6. The relief once it's all over.
Once you get your score back, good or bad, you can let it go and relax. It's over with! But be aware that finals are just around the corner...
So whether you've resigned to your Squidwardly-ness or you're still fighting to keep your inner Spongebob alive, we can all admit that Squidward's perpetual need for a nap and his unfailing cynicism is super relatable. Good luck on midterms!
