Every year is the same.

We take classes, read, study hard, and pay attention, all for two big weeks on campus; midterms and finals.

Well, right now it's around midterms, and every student on campus is feeling that pressure.

Studying, sleep deprivation, and all-around misery are running rampant throughout the student body (apparently, according to a recent email, along with the flu and the hand-foot-mouth virus), which is great because it's not like our immune systems aren't damaged enough from the usual college student's poor nutrition and sleepless nights.

No matter what you do to prepare for this crazy time of year, whether you choose to study or "wing it", it's definitely an overly busy stressful week or two for everyone.

And we can all share in a few common midterm experiences.

1. Library overpopulation

Anyone who usually spends a lot of time in the library knows that once midterms hit, the library becomes like a zoo. There are people at every computer, every study desk is full, and even the typically silent rooms aren't so silent anymore. The library transforms into no longer a place of quiet study, but desperate cramming and frantic peer review.

2. You make a lot of new friends

Coming together for group study sessions and bonding over the shared horrors of a difficult exam really bind people together, even those who would not have talked outside of class otherwise. It's also a time when people start to become really friendly in terms of wanting picture of notes and explanations of readings; there is always someone else in the class who wants to discuss "what's on the exam?" and it's a great way to get to know your classmates.

3. The double midterm

This is the stuff of nightmares... having two midterms in one day. Double the study time, double the stamina, double the coffee. As if this isn't bad enough, there is always the frightening but real possibility of having three in one day. Let's hope this isn't your case and if it is, stop reading and start studying!

4. Information overload

We've all reached a point where we've been studying for so long, that the brain no longer seems able to retain the information anymore. Although this is a normal part of life, often this results in a panic because the student was depending on that cramming in order to pass the exam. Our minds can only hold so much, and even after the test we see this overload come out in the nearly immediate forgetting of 90% of what we just studied so hard for.

You may feel like you're all alone in your stresses and struggles during midterms week, but rest assured, you're not! Everyone around you understands and is going through it too!

Good luck on your midterms, and I'll see you at finals!