Stage One: Cognizance

Class starts and you open your notebook to a fresh sheet of paper. Your professor walks up to the front of the classroom and mentions that there’s an exam coming up in about two weeks, and that it would be a good idea to start studying now. You jot down the date in your notebook. “I'll start studying this weekend," you think to yourself.

Stage Two: Realization

Fast forward a week and a half later and you’re scrolling through your Google Calendar when suddenly you see a reminder:

EXAM IN TWO DAYS.

Your eyes go wide in shock. You realize that you haven’t done any of the studying like you planned to. You start channeling your inner Elle Woods to get you motivated for the long 48 hours you’ll be studying.

Stage Three: Breakdown

It’s been three hours into your study time. The coffee you drank earlier has worn off. You feel like your hand is going to fall off. Your eyes keep closing from exhaustion. You keep pushing forward anyway.

Stage Four: Hope

It’s the day of the exam and you sit down, trying to stay motivated. You hear chatter from about the room and you hear, “Yeah I hear it's not going to be THAT bad.” You sigh in relief and the anxiety has been lifted off your chest. All seems well.

Stage Five: Guilt

All is not well. As soon as you get the exam, the only thing you can fill out correctly is your name. Everything else is a blur and you wish you had studied when your professor had told you to.

Stage Six: Acceptance

After you hand in the exam that you know you must have failed, you walk out of the room accepting the fact that you could have easily done something to change your fate. Now you know for the future what you need to do. You leave the class with a newfound motivation to work harder and smarter.