It's here. The dreaded last few weeks of the semester that turn us all into sleep-deprived, stressed-out, homeless looking college kids. "I've been wearing this outfit two days in a row," "I don't know if I should nap, eat, or study another chapter," and "I've drunk five cups of coffee so far today"....casual conversation on campus this week. But we'll get through it. It's easy to get frustrated, stressed or just flat-out sick of schoolwork before winter break. Keeping these things in mind during our crazy time will help show how fortunate we are to be taking these finals, albeit pretty stressed out.
You can afford to attend a university
Hey. A lot of kids our age in this world don't get the chance to move on to higher education. We tend to take it for granted, but a lot of kids see it as the ultimate dream. Meanwhile, here we are groaning at our professors for making the final cumulative. How sad would it be if you had a passion for computer science your whole life, but never could get the degree to make it a career? Think about it.
Look back on what you've done
By this point, you've most likely completed a hundred applications, projects, papers, tests and so on. You got through all of those, and you'll get through this week. Drink three espressos, do some yoga to calm down, pull an all-nighter, whatever. Whatever you do, I can promise that you'll get your final paper done. If you think about it, we have all accomplished a lot in our lives by this point, so pat yourself on the back. You've done a lot of papers in your life, so what's one more? Get it done, girl.
You're not the only one dealing with finals
It's not easy to keep your cool during this week, I know. It becomes easy to get grumpy, or get a little angry with your friends or roommates over something little. However, you're not the only stressed out, grumpy, sleep-deprived student on campus. Finals are no fun for anyone. So if your friend seemed a little quiet this morning, or your roommate snapped on you for a mess, don't take it personally. I bet you've been throwing some shade their way too.
You're one step closer to that degree
Picture your dream job after college. Imagine one day with no homework, finals, or project due dates to remember. Won't that be nice?
You're coming closer to it with every final you turn in. That econ test is one step closer to that cap and gown. Sure, it may seem pointless to learn formulas for a journalism degree, but it's one step closer to your dream apartment in the big city.
This will all be over soon
These few weeks suck -- there's no way to sugar coat it. What won't suck is seeing your hard work pay off. Sounds corny, I know, but you won't be thankful for the nap you decided to take instead of studying. You will, however, be thankful for that A you lost a lot of sleep for. Always remember: pain is temporary, but your GPA lasts forever.
