Finals time is like a well-rehearsed disaster. College students know this to be true. There are mental breakdowns and five-shot lattes and too much sleep that has been skipped. People are taking naps in weird places and people are collectively losing their shit in public spaces. Finals is the time where college students turn into zombies running on caffeine-fumes and the promise of the end being near. The week before finals is like the eye of the storm. Everything is about to go to utter chaos but people are still trying to somehow collect themselves. There are some sights that everyone knows will occur before finals week.
1. The person who is napping in the library
We've all seen that person, hell, we've all probably been that person. Hood pulled up over one's head, body hunched, a chem textbook or a draft of an essay being used as a makeshift pillow. Whether it is sheer exhaustion, sheer frustration, or merely no longer caring, there's always someone sleeping in the library.
2. The surge of delivery vehicles
Meal points are running low and motivation is running even lower. Free time to get dinner is a luxury most of us don't have before finals. There are always more food deliveries to campus before finals week. I'm not sure whether it is because we have all adopted a "treat yo self" mentality or if we're all just famished at this time of year, but either way, delivery becomes a fixture on campus before the week of finals.
3. Energy drinks and coffee everywhere
The week before finals everyone is drinking energy drinks and coffees. Everyone is drinking caffeine to stay afloat. Even the people who usually get water with their meals are adding a caffeine jolt.
4. People napping in random places on campus
During finals season people are taking naps whenever and wherever they can get them. From the coffee shop lounge areas to chairs by the stairwell people are cramming naps between their cramming for exams.
5. People crying in the corners
We're all overworked and stressed during finals. There is someone probably crying over spilled coffee. There is someone losing it over their grades. Someone hasn't slept in three days and someone saw a picture of a cute puppy. The week before finals is when no one cares anymore and the waterworks come easily.