This past week, the amount of academic work, events and extracurriculars was so great that I was extremely stressed. We are all guilty of those times when you have three tests, but decide to binge-watch your favorite Netflix show. Or you are so busy you forget to eat lunch and suddenly candy is considered your healthy alternative. Also, skipping one class to prepare for another class. Anyways, this week was very much a struggle, and so many things happened I do not even know how I made it to Friday. Here is a list of the times I felt "so college" this past week.
1. When 10 p.m. is an acceptable time to eat dinner
On Mondays, I have class from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., and chapter at 7 p.m. until 8 p.m. and I have zero time to get dinner let alone make it. Although I do carry snacks around with me for this very reason, I get so hungry waiting to finally sit down and eat a meal. Even then, this past week felt like I did not have time to sit down and eat. After chapter and a few other meetings this Monday, I ended up at Dave's eating chicken tenders at 10 p.m. like your stereotypical college student.
2. When you zone out in class and realize you've missed an entire concept
This week, I had so much homework on top of tests and essays that I slept very poorly. A few times, the caffeine I inhaled before class would wear off and I would find myself zoning out. Then, the next minute the professor is saying how this will be on the test, or applauds a student for her point in the class discussion that I clearly missed. I feel so overwhelmed I go to my professor only for it to turn out to be nothing, when I was worried I had missed a super important topic.
3. Using caffeine as a substitute for real food
As I said, this week was so packed that it felt like I literally had every hour planned so caffeine was necessary to keep me awake and alert. I usually do not drink much coffee, and I hate that I already do drink so much of it, but I needed to stay awake. Trust me, I tried to use exercise instead to keep me awake and it worked for a while, but I had to keep my brain awake. This week in particular, I either did not have time to eat lunch, or completely forgot about it and drank coffee in its place.
4. Absolutely forgetting what day of the week it is
I am not sure it was the lack of sleep or the intense amount of things I had to do this week, but on Tuesday, I was convinced it was Thursday for at least an hour. I even did my homework and showed up for my evening class only to find out it was Tuesday.
5. Waking up from a nap thinking it is the next day
In the middle of my constant go-go this week, I did manage to squeeze in a much needed nap! But, when I woke up from said nap, I thought I had slept through to the next morning and started getting ready to eat breakfast. It was the lack of sleep that lead me to this conclusion.
6. When you make mac & cheese and feel like an iron chef
As healthy as mac & cheese is as a meal, I made it for myself this week and absolutely felt like a real chef. Baking is my strong suit; cooking... not so much. In my dorm, the strainer was dirty, so I was innovative and used a plastic bowl that I punched holes into. I mean, if that does not qualify me for the Food Network, then clearly they are not ready for my sophisticated skill set. I added just the right amount of cheese, and it was so good.
7. When you order from the kid's menu because you want to
Oftentimes, I order a kid's meal because the portion sizes are smaller and the food is usually pretty basic. By that, I mean sometimes I just really want a classic grilled cheese with no embellishments whatsoever. So, when I spontaneously went to Panera on Thursday for lunch, I ordered a child's PB&J sandwich because I really wanted it. Yes, I am 21 years old, and yes, I happily ate this sandwich in public.
8. When you wake up early to do homework and realize it's a lost cause
I often wake up early on Mondays and Wednesdays to finish my French homework because it is so hard to get it all done in one sitting. This week, I woke up on Wednesday and realized the obscene amount of work I still had to do even though I spent a large chunk of time the night before doing this homework. I still had 10 pages to read in a book, a verb conjugation sheet and a section of my journal reflection assignment. I did not get all the homework done but luckily we had a guest speaker, so that took up most of the class.
9. When you are exhausted after one class but made it through seven hours of classes in high school
In high school, we all had about six to seven hours of classes one right after the other, and now we have maybe one class for 50 minutes three times a week, and that seems difficult to manage. Classes are more difficult in college, but they are also much longer, and my ability to concentrate for that long is limited. Yes, the thinking and concentration for college classes are much more profound than for high school, but how is it that after one hour-and-a-half class, I am already so tired? I will sit in my hour-and-a-half classes doing my best to pay attention, but sometimes I zone out. How did I manage to concentrate for six hours of classes in high school?
10. When children's Frozen chicken nuggets qualify as a "healthy meal"
This Friday, I was babysitting and the kids had Frozen-themed chicken nuggets. I made plenty for all three of us, but they only ate a few in addition to their fruit and vegetables. On the other hand, I ate about ten because I was hungry and they were so delicious! I'm pretty sure I consumed more than one serving of chicken nuggets, but hey, it's been a rough week, so it's totally cool, right?
