Finals wreck me.

The thin thread that usually attempts to hold my mental stability together during finals week is basically nonexistent. I usually break down several times a day, lose a sense of who I am, and sometimes just forget how to function.

I GIVE UP THIS YEAR! Enough is enough! If you are like 99.99% of the rest of the college student body, you are absolutely not ready for finals whatsoever. According to all my personal studies and the number of people that I see crying in the library around this time of year, it can be concluded that finals week is the topmost dissatisfying thing young adults have to deal with on the regular basis of twice a year. No matter how organized you are, how put together your life is, nor however many prayers you shout to the heavens, nothing prepares you for the inevitable doom of finals week.

This year it is time to change the game... literally. With the help of some of my most trusted friends, the despair of barely making it through finals is now very literally a game.

One of the worst things about finals is wanting nothing more than to cry it out but worrying about people judging you for it in public. What if I told you that the more you get it off your chest and cry it out, the better you will feel for more reason than one? Then this is a game you might want to invest in.

Turn your tears into tallies and win something in the midst of your misery with this new game.

Before I elaborate on the all the details of the game, let me emphasize that the point of this game is not to necessarily win overall but to feel better about yourself.

The way this game works is between you and a select group of people, each participant has the chance to earn points for every time he/she sheds a few tears. At the end of the semester, the person with the most points wins the game. Everyone is a winner of this game though. If you win the game itself it means you broke down and cried the most in public BUT at least you win the game. If you do not win the game itself you still win because it means you might have your life at least a little bit more together than whoever won the game.

So do you just run through the streets crying to get points? No no no. Below is the break down in ascending order for how the point system works. An exciting way to keep track of points is to print off a map of campus and mark everything down. This way you can visually see everything play out.

Spaces worth 1 point for crying

Public restrooms, Your own dorm room, Your own car

Spaces worth 2 points for crying

Classroom buildings, Outside on campus, Math Empo, Residence Hall (not in your room), During a class change in a low traffic path, Parking lots/Parking Garage

Spaces worth 3 points for crying

During class, At the Pylons, During a class change in moderate-high traffic areas (i.e. Drillfield, any sidewalk basically anywhere), Dining Halls (except for Turners), Library, On public transportation, During an exam

Spaces worth 4 points for crying

Turners from 11am-2pm, While a tour group goes by, While getting help at the Math Empo

**IMPORTANT NOTE** You can only get points for crying someplace once, so if you have already cried in the library, you'd better run to Squires if you want more points!

Good luck and may the most emotionally unstable win! May you all pass your finals!