The struggle of having an exam starts even before the actual day of the test. Depending on when you start studying and the caliber of the exam, you may experience these thoughts at a different intensity or time. Nonetheless, you will experience these general seven stages and thoughts prior to your exam.

1. At some point you will hit meltdown mode.

There is so much material! How dare this professor give us so much to learn?

Should I have studied more before tonight? Yes. But I also had that Genetics exam, that paper due for Philosophy… My procrastination was completely justified.

Why isn’t this information just being soaked up by my brain like a sponge? Screw you brain for not even trying to be porous this evening.

2. You start questioning your sleep cycle.

I should just stay up all night. There’s no point of sleeping when I’m going to finish studying at 4 and I have class at 9.

But, I think I would die without sleep.

Ugh, I’ll just throw up the white flag eventually and squeeze in a brief nap so I can function during this exam.

3. The day of the exam you have to fight the morning grog.

Shoot. I’ve already snoozed my alarm clock three times this morning. If I snooze it again then I’m going to be late to this God forsaken test.

I don’t have time for breakfast, but they always said that was one of the keys to success for the SAT. Granola bar and coffee to-go it is.

Almost forgot to put on deodorant, but hey, I remembered before I made it too far out the door, so we’re good. Also, God bless hats for allowing me to go incognito and avoid doing my hair and makeup.

4. Your brain is on overload walking to your class.

Let’s see how many vocab words and formulas I can possibly remember right now on the way to the room.

Should I read over my notes again? No. Walking into class holding my notes would make me look unprepared.

I’ll just visualize every worksheet we have ever done in this class up until this point.

5. When the professor starts handing out exams, all chill is lost.

All of the anxiety just hit me at once.

What if I faint during the test?

I just have to remember to breathe. I just have to remember that in addition to the 30 million other things that I crammed into my head for this exam.

Should I pray? I think it’s too late to pray. Amen?

6. When you actually get the test, you go into a little shock stage.

I don’t even know half the words in the first question so, I’ll just skip that one and answer some that I know.

I’ve skipped like 13 questions at this point, but you know you win some you lose some.

Ahhh. Did she just say 5 minutes left? How is that even possible? Where did those other 50 minutes fly off to?

I’ve quadruple checked everything I know how to do and I answered C on those hard stupid irrelevant questions that shouldn’t even be on here. I’m golden.

7. After you escape you just reflect on your performance.

Well regardless of the outcome today team, we put up a good fight and played our hardest out there. As for the results, whatever will be will be. Now I need food. And a nap.