The final week is descending upon us at full force. As you spend several hours carefully, painstakingly writing out your to-do list, there comes a time when you realize that you need Olivia Pope's full team to get you through finals alive. Is it going to be handled? Probably not, but we still try.
The first wave of panic hits you. Between the project your teacher assigned to you on the first day of class, that you still haven't looked at yet, and the cumulative written exam you have to study for, you have no idea where to begin. You do know, however, that you need a sedative.
You finally find an empty study room, the skies have opened up and nothing can stop you on your quest to be productive. The scene is set up: all of your papers are perfectly placed, your laptop is at full charge and ready to go, and your coffee cup is in the optimal quick-grasp position. Then, someone knocks on the door and, in their best “aw-shucks" voice, says they have a group project to work on, so they have study room dibs. You begrudgingly move, but make sure to leave your empty bag of chips on the floor.
You are mid-way through day one of studying, and you are done. No way is it possible for one human to accomplish everything you need. Snapchats to your friends raise concern about your sanity. Finally, one friend delivers a caffeine-charged speech about pushing through and not giving up.
After finishing up the first of many days trapped in the SLC, you pack up and go home. When you realize that instead of looking through your Stat notes you watched an entire season of the O.C. in a day, it is time to have a stern talking with yourself. How on Earth did you spend eight hours in a study cubby and still not do any work?
The next morning, you decide to try again. You make a beeline for the Jittery Joe's line and order two 20 ounce coffees with extra shots of espresso. You experience a bit of déjà vu. Haven't you done this before? The answer is yes, last night with the same barista. They remember you, too. It is the start of a beautiful friendship.
The week progresses and your standard of cleanliness dramatically drops. Spray some Febreeze on it and you are good to go! Sure, you feel slightly bad for anyone who sits next to you. But it's finals week, you don't have time for little luxuries such as brushing your hair.
Test day has arrived! You go into a final exam with either of two attitudes: “I've got this, guys" or “screw this." There is no in-between. You sit down and the TA passes out all of the tests. It then dawns on you that your professor lied. Instead of a multiple-choice-only exam, it is filled with sections for matching and short answer. You will never trust another teacher, ever again.
The last paper has been turned in and the last scantron bubbled. It's summertime, and for the next few months projects and tests and papers can become a distant memory. It's time to hit the beach, not the books.