We've all been there - the all-nighter(s), the stress eating, the stress not eating, the tears, the coffee. You feel like everything's going well, you're finally on top of everything. And then it always manages to sneak up on you and knock you back down, remind you that you are indeed a shambly mess of an almost person. That's right ladies and gentlemen, I'm talking about Hell Week. It's that one week, you know the one, that comes along every once and a while when it feels like all of your professors purposely scheduled everything at once. Here are the thirteen phases you went through during your last Hell Week
Phase 1: The Empowered Phase
It's a week before your first Assessment: you've got time and you've got this. It's going to be a lot, but really, but if you play your cards right, it'll be totally manageable.
Phase 2: The Procrastination Phase
You have so much time! You deserve some chill time from thinking about studying.
Phase 3: The Sneaking Panic Phase
Panic is a big word, but you're a little stressed. Like it's close enough to be stressed about it but not close enough to actually really focus on it.
Phase 4: The Full-On Panic Phase
You're officially panicking. The room feels too small and your shirt is too tight and you don't know how you will physically finish everything you need to accomplish.
Phase 5: The Caffeination Phase
Coffee can fix things. Coffee can fix this. Coffee can fix everything.
Phase 6: The Sleepiness
The coffee din't fix everything. It's over, you can't keep your eyes open. Your eyelids are too heavy, there's too much to be done, and you've never ever been as tempted by your bed as you are right now.
Phase 7: The Rally
You stop for a minute, sit up straighter, open your eyes, get pumped by your favorite song. And decide that you are going to get this done. You're entire high school and college career thus far has led you to this moment and you can do it.
Phase 8: The Crackdown
TIME STANDS STILL AND YOU GET SHIT DONE.
Phase 9: The Post-Crackdown
Your body is exhausted, your head hurts, your eyes have bags, your stomach is grumbling, your eyes are dry, but it's all okay because you did it, you studied. Go you.
Phase 10: The Confidence
You did it, you learned it, and you're going to kill it.
Phase 11: The Disappointment
You feel like an utter failure as you walk out of the test with the sinking feeling in your core that you did not indeed learn everything as well as you had thought.
Phase 12: The Acceptance
You accept your fate. At least it's over. You didn't really want to be a doctor anyway, you can still change majors.
Phase 13: The Exhaustion
You can't keep your eyes open. You deserve a nap and a cuddly blanket and a decent night's sleep more than anyone ever has in the history of the world.
BUT WAIT
Step 0: Repeat
You have that essay due tomorrow, right?
Congratulations on making it through Hell Week, my peers.
Happy Spring Break, we deserve it.
