The week before finals is affectionately called ‘dead week,’ when students lock themselves in Wells Library or the Indiana Memorial Union, chug a few cups of coffee, and begin learning things they should’ve studied weeks ago. If you’re like me, you’ll try to focus, but get a tad distracted with all that’s going on. So here’s what came to mind as I attempted to study for finals.
The food in the kitchen has never tasted better.
There’s good pasta in the fridge? Honey Nut Cheerios AND Lucky Charms are out?! You found a Fruit Roll-Up in the cabinet?? These are exciting highlights of the kitchen that just draws me in. I don’t know about you, but leftovers from pasta bar the night before sound way more tempting than studying for my foreign policy final. You’ll find yourself late night snacking with a whole squad and you’ll remember these memories way more than how well you did on Spanish.
These are the final few weeks as the youngest members in the sorority.
Indiana University Panhellenic Recruitment begins as soon as students return from winter break, making these the last few weeks of being the youngest pledge class in the chapter. This time could not be more exciting, but it also marks a huge change in the chapter. I’m enjoying my last few weeks as the youngest before welcoming the newest pledge class home.
Spend time with homies who are going abroad next semester.
Emotions have set in as my friends who are going abroad next semester begin to move out. It’s not very convenient that some of my best friends are going to Barcelona, Argentina, and Tel Aviv, but we’ll make it work. Hang out with your pals who are leaving you for a whole semester (probably in the kitchen while enjoying some Special K with Red Berries).
Don’t be a nuisance to those who are actually successfully studying.
Yo, major props to these people. I’m going to let you take over the library, and I promise I will stop screaming singing ‘Sorry’ by Justin Bieber so you can focus once again.
Take care of yourself.
The late nights just hanging out, the minimal sleep because you realize that paper is due tomorrow and not the next day, the caffeine shakes. Dead week and finals week is tough. But if you don’t have your health, you’ll be screwed. So remember to shower, eat well (put down that cheese stick in the kitchen), sleep, and dress properly for the weather, which may be hard, because Indiana goes between frigid tundra and the fiery pits of hell outside.
Set yourself up for success… like, maybe try studying yourself.
Once you’ve exhausted all options of snacks in the kitchen, once you’ve watched every sorority recruitment video since 2012, once you’ve cried about your best friend balling out to Prague for the next five months, I think it’s best to open and a book and get to work.
