As a freshman approaching the end of my first semester in college, you can imagine the range of emotions I'm experiencing. Naturally, I'm excited about going home in a few days because home means showering without shower shoes, eating non-dining-hall food like actual Tex-Mex, sleeping in a bed wider than my arm span and spending time with the family, of course. I'm also a little sad about leaving my friends for a whole three weeks and am terrified about my first experience with finals. In the midst of this emotional instability, I find myself reminiscing on the simpler days of childhood when I would have typically been gearing up around this time to reread the entire "Harry Potter" series over Winter Break.
Yes, you read that correctly. And yes I did actually do this -- several years in a row, in fact. Just ask my mom.
Recommended for you
Anyways, since I definitely don't have time to reread the series now, I thought I'd compromise by taking a short study break (which actually turned into a long one once I discovered the millions of "Harry Potter" GIFs on the Internet) to document vital parts of the end of the semester, as told by "Harry Potter."
Feeling the need to blow off some steam
Just a charming image in case you'd forgotten what he looked like. Also, I feel like all college students can probably relate to the feeling of having many emotions, anxieties and frustrations building up inside them around this time of the year. You might be searching for a way to release these, but probably not in exactly the same way as Harry.
Hopelessly fantasizing about anything but school
Don't think that I'm HP illiterate; I know Neville did this in "real life." But in order to avoid handling both your responsibilities and pent-up emotions, you might be daydreaming. You possibly picture yourself heroically saving the world from the forces of evil, like good old Neville making short work of Nagini. You're lost in your thoughts when suddenly your friend reminds you of the real world.
Having the friend that makes you get your act together
I also know that Hermione doesn't say these words during this scene. Work with me here, people. You probably should be writing, and I probably should be too. (Whoops.)
Maybe you take her advice and head to the library, seating yourself in the carrel you checked out the first week of classes, but definitely haven't used since the third week. You're halfway through the introduction of your first paper when laughter erupts from the group right next to you.
Taking out your frustration on innocents (or not-so-innocents)
This one's pretty self-explanatory; you actually found a way to silence that noisy group while releasing some of the tension you'd been feeling.
Resorting to physical violence to prove your point
Maybe the rowdy group just didn't get the point when you yelled at them, and you feel like physical confrontation is the only remaining solution to the problem. A note of caution: this technique should only be used in extremely dire circumstances.
Receiving a disappointing peer review for one of your papers
Realizing that you have a final scheduled for the next day
You experience that moment of panic when you remember that you have a final the next day that you have yet to study for. You mentally berate yourself and tell yourself that you totally should have started studying for this weeks ago.
Accepting the inevitable
Yes, you've got me, Dumbledore never said, "Welp," either. That being said, if you're walking out of the room after the final knowing that yes, you definitely should have started studying for it two weeks ago, but there's nothing you can do about it now, then his hand motions are still totally applicable.Reminding yourself that GPA isn't everything in life -- but it is still a whole lot
When you feel iffy about a final project you just submitted and need a boost of encouragement, you tend to remind yourself that focusing all of your energy on achieving nothing less than a 4.0 just isn't conducive to a healthy lifestyle.
