Finals week is slowly winding down and Christmas break is glistening right around the corner. I can vaguely smell the sweet aroma of pine trees and mint hot chocolate. I can almost feel the soft blankets on my bed at home caressing me and pulling me into a deep sleep.
Hold up a second.
Not to make anyone still taking finals jealous or anything, but I am done. I am sitting by a freshly cut Christmas tree just adorned with lights. My dog is snoring on the floor right next to me, there is a cup of tea calling my name, and there is heat on in my house (compared to none in my dorm room). What a life.
From close observation of myself and others, I have come to the conclusion that finals week is composed of six stages. Some of these states are continual, and others are temporary. They are not true for everyone, and some only apply to a few. For the record, they all ring true for me.
1. Being stressed out
This one could go without saying. How many people did I see figuratively pulling their hair out (actually, if you were to look at the showers in my dorm, this could be taken literally), missing classes, showing up at the wrong times for appointments, skipping meals, eating chips, and wearing pajamas at inappropriate times of day (if there actually is such a thing)?
Just look at the spike of sales and activity at coffee shops on or near college campuses.
Look at all the people spending time with friends trying to get into the Christmas spirit (AKA trying to forget all the finals looming over their heads).
The common response to "how are you doing?" when asked this time of year is often "good," but if you stick around and care to find out the real answer, it often goes something like this:
"Oh my goodness. I haven't even studied for 3 of my finals yet. I have 50 more pages worth of papers to write. I have 2 more presentations and 1 project left. I don't even know where to start."
2. Anger
That professor who has made their students do busy work all semester and then gave them a final with no purpose other than making them spend their valuable time studying for it to get the grade? Yeah. Those are the professors who are usually targeted.
Maybe the lack of sleep is causing you to be edgy around your friends and bitter towards your classmates who seem to not try as hard as you or maybe even angry at the ones who try harder.
Maybe you are simply angry at the people yelling in the cafeteria during breakfast. And the ones doing karaoke during dinner. I was more than a little passive aggressive towards them.
3. Disappointment
Having self-disappointment is a dangerous path to trod, and one I frequent a bit too often, especially during finals.
Take this advice into consideration, oh those of you who are disappointed in what you have (or haven't) accomplished:
Be content with what you have done and are doing. If you did your best in everything, there should be absolutely no room for regret in your mind, even if the results are not what you would have originally wanted.
4. Over Stimulation
This might not be the right phrase to get across the feeling I am trying to convey. This fourth stage stems off of disappointment. In deciding to move on, we try too hard. We get burned out.
Also related: When I pull all nighters to finish papers that are due the next day. #CAFFEINEFORDAYS
5. Complacence
Sometimes students just hit a wall. Figuratively, not figuratively, whatever. After we hit that wall, oftentimes, we just give up. We resign ourselves to getting whatever grade we deserve. This is the point when people stop studying, go to bed, or waste time doing something not school related they enjoy, and everyone in their life starts yelling at them, "you could be studying."
But at this point, caring is a thing of the past.
6. Relief, Sweet Relief
How do I explain the overwhelming crashing sense of freedom that comes over you and lifts off all the cares from your heavy eyelids and over-caffeinated being? You took the finals. You handed in the exams. You knocked out those pesky presentations. You are free for a month.
Time to do your happy dance and take a nap.
