Are you getting no sleep? Are you on your seventh cup of coffee? Are you wearing the same shirt for the third day in a row? It's probably finals week for you!
Finals week is the all around week of torture that can make or break a grade, and it's something most deserve a medal for if they make it through it with minimal breakdowns.(Engineering majors, I'm looking at you.) As finals week and the end of the semester roll around, there are typically ten stages you go through as the week begins, progresses, and finally ends. Here are the ten stages you go through.
1. Preparation
You've made your list and checked twice. You've made plans to meet with other people in the same class, scheduled your time to the second so you study for everything and don't leave anything out. Well, if you stray from that, you can say you did.
2. Optimism.
It's probably still the Sunday before, and you've been lightly preparing for the week ahead. You're pretty sure you have it figured out, there's going to be no last minute cram sessions this year! (Ha, Ha, HAHAHAHA)
3. Minor Stress
You've just taken your first or maybe first two finals of the week and they only went okay. You resolve to study a little more and in more detail, because you never know how detailed these professors can get.
4. Procrastination
You don't have a final today, time for a break right? Maybe, maybe not, maybe just one more episode of Grey's.
5. All-Nighters
It's probably Wednesday, the final you are the most worried about is closer than it was on Monday and after the first few finals, you're a little terrified for it. Before you know it, the time gets later and later, and you aren't even realizing it. You should probably also put coffee in an IV, because you're making it every thirty minutes to keep yourself awake.
6.Major Stress
You're down to the wire on your last two finals, and they somehow have the biggest impact on your grades. You're so close to an A/don't want to fail/just need to pass this class, that you're now panicking and blowing something way out of proportion. Or not, you might be shutting down and starting to avoid people, because you're so over everything.
7. Build up
It's the hour/ day before the final that is causing you the most stress, you're trying to breathe and be ready. You've crammed as well as studying earlier this week and are feeling confident about this test. You're convinced you're going to conquer it.
8. Breakdown
You've finally hit the wall and are so tired you can't even tell how well you did on the final. Someone is bragging about how easy the final felt to them and you really want to hit them.Your head feels like it's about to explode, and all you want is to be done with the semester, you'd probably trade your first born child to avoid taking that last final.
9. Acceptance
It's time for that last final, you're just so ready to be done, but you've decided on a "no more tears" mantra, and you're ready. It's to that point where you're on the cusp of being free from the semester, and have just accepted that it's almost out of your hands at this point. You've prepared yourself, you've (tried to) pay attention all year, and you just have to do it at this point.
10. Crash
11. Recovery
All your finals are done. You did it! You made it through the week. You're free and you're done for a month! What are you going to do with your life now?
Sleep, the answer is always sleep.
Good luck on your finals friends, you've got this!
