As the semester is coming to a close, there are a lot of emotions that you're dealing with and Leslie Knope from Parks and Recreation sums up exactly what you're going through in these last few weeks:
1. When you realize that you are not going to get the 4.0 you had hopes of getting:
Remember the beginning of the semester, when you were so young and naive and believed that maybe this was the semester of the elusive 4.0 GPA, but now that finals week is fast approaching, you have decided that maybe you need to be a little more realistic about your academic success (or failure) this semester.
2. When your friends tell you to calm down because you're stressing:
We all get stressed at this time of year, no matter how chill we think we are, but it is so much worse when someone else sees and points out how stressed you are because "YES, I ALREADY KNOW I AM IN A DEEP ABYSS OF ANXIETY," so you get a little too self-defensive about how chill you are.
3. When you realize how close Christmas is and the Christmas spirit overwhelms you:
It's the most wonderful time of the year. It may not feel like it with all of this work that you have to do, but Christmas is in a matter of weeks, so it's time to celebrate no matter what other obligations you have.
4. When it seems like everything is going wrong:
You thought you had everything well planned out in your planner. But, now all of a sudden, you realize that you have 3 paper, 2 projects, and 4 tests all in a span of one week, and you have not even started one thing, but it's not your fault. Oh, no. It's the teachers' faults for throwing all this homework at you at the last minute.
5. When you're trying to keep yourself awake by eating a lot of sugar:
With all this work accumulating, you need to stay awake and get as much done as possible. So that leads to a large intake of caffeine and sugar, which can sometimes lead to a bit of insanity and over tiredness.
6. When you get a regular amount of sleep for once:
Being a college student, naps are a necessity since we don't get any sleep what with
7. When you just need a good cry:
When emotions are high, sometimes the best way to get through it all is just to have a good cry. Crying is a great way to relieve stress as well as remove toxins from your body. So, sometimes, you need to just take some time to cry and then maybe do it again.
8. When you need some motivation:
Sometimes you need to get by with a little help from your friends, and the time before and during finals week is certainly that time. The best part about college friends is that they all are going through the same thing as you. You may think you're on the verge of an emotional breakdown, but don't worry, at least, 3 of your friends are too. But, no matter how stressed you all are, that won't stop the constant support you get from your friends that everything will turn out fine.
9. When you realize how close finals are:
Finals week always sounded so far away. December was such a far away month in August but now here we are, one week into December already! Sometimes it is just better to be in denial than to face the reality of final tests and papers.
10. When it's time to take a final:
You have to go into that final with full confidence. You've done your studying for that class or maybe you haven't, but you've been going to that class for a full semester, so you should have absorbed something that can be useful on this, the most important of tests. So, you go into the classroom, prepared to kick that final's ass.
11. When you walk out of the final:
Woohoo! You're finally done with that class and teacher. Time to party or just take a nap. Who cares how you did on that test?
12. When you have post-test depression:
You starting to care about how you did on that test. The stress begins to set in about your final grade and now you are constantly checking blackboard for a final grade being posted in case you need to do some last minute groveling to the teacher about how if you don't get a B in this class, you won't keep your scholarship or some made up excuse like that.
13. When you're so stressed you just need to have some fun:
This one's self-explanatory.
14. When you realize that you're not going to see your college friends for a month:
Your college friends are like your family; you see them every single day and they're always there for you. While you can see some of your friends that live close by, not everyone lives in the same area, so saying goodbye to your out of state friends or your friends who are spending a semester abroad can get a bit emotional.
15. When you finally get to leave for winter break:
Finally, sweet relief! This is what you've been looking forward to and probably have been counting down the days. Finals are over! All the goodbyes have been said. Now it's just a car, train, or airplane ride away from holiday celebrations and unlimited sleep with no academic responsibility until next year!
I hope you stay motivated and positive through the rest of the semester. Just remember, no matter how bad your day is going, at least, you didn't fall into the Pawnee pit.
