Sometimes I think the weeks preceding finals week are actually worse than finals week itself.

Like, exponentially worse.

In fact, I changed my mind. I don’t just think. I know.

It’s that time of year that all college students dread. You know, the one where we all get back from a relaxing Thanksgiving break – apple pie still coursing through our veins, sleep schedules still a little bit thrown off, and Christmas cookies still silently taunting us, because we know it won’t be long now…

Only to get slapped in the face with final projects, papers, presentations, and – of course – final exams.

Our parents think it’s funny, because they just get to call it “December”. High schoolers think it’s funny, because they just get to call it “the 3 weeks before Christmas”. Proactive people think it’s funny, because they get to call it “that time of the year where everyone else is scrambling to get their Christmas shopping done but mine has been done since July.”

But here in college? We like to call it hell.

Don’t worry. Michael Scott gets you.

1. When you have 12 papers, 7 group projects, and 38 assignments to do on top of studying for finals.

2. When you can’t decide if you’re hungry or just really sick of studying.

3. When you realize that going to the library isn't actually helping you get anything done.

4. When your classmates tell you they think they are prepared for the final exam, and you have to bring them back down to Earth.

5. When your friends tell you they don’t have any cumulative finals.

6. When you have to remind yourself why you’re here taking finals anyway.

7. When you’re sick of studying and doing homework but all your friends are still too busy being good students.

8. When you find out you have a really shitty exam time.

9. When you have to convince yourself that you’re still gonna be a queen, even if you bomb your finals.

10. When it’s the last day before finals and you realize you are somehow still totally unprepared for every exam that’s about to come your way.

The good news is… well, there really is no good news. I can say that now because I’m in my 3rd year of college and I’m finally starting to learn a thing or two. Finals are finals. Hell is hell.

BUT there is that one song that goes, “If you’re going through hell, keep on going, don’t slow down. If you’re scared, don’t show it, you might get out”.

I never really liked that song much anyway. Sometimes finals just slow you down and there’s not really anything you can do about it. How can I not show that I’m scared when I only have time to eat Cheerios for dinner, have left a permanent butt imprint on that one chair in the library, and have bags under my eyes the size of the Grand Canyon because I’ve sacrificed my slumber for so many pointless final projects and copious amounts of studying?

I’ll just stick with being scared for now.

Happy December/3 weeks before Christmas/pre-finals week/hell, everyone.