Finals week is a time of untold stress and strain, but its only a week and we all make it through. Each of us prepares differently, but everyone has the ideal way they would like to deal with this stressful time - the reality often being far from those perfect plans.

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Expectation: Finals week is coming up, and you are going to prepare properly this time, you promised yourself after the last GPA you earned that this would be different. You are tired of feeling like a failure and you are determined to make sure you start studying ahead of time and thoroughly, like a responsible student.

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Reality: You really hate yourself after your last GPA score and with a finals week soon approaching and another week of reminders on how incompetent you are looming ahead you decide the best plan of action is to binge watch every series of Netflix and consume an entire family size bottle of wine. Planning ahead obviously.

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Expectation: Once you actually get down to studying its time to really focus, you arrive at the library at around 4pm, and you are zoned into the material for a solid 6 hours. You leave the library around 10pm and get a good nights rest, not a care in the world because you feel prepared and know you are ready to handle the exams.

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Reality: It’s 4am, you got to the library at 4pm but after spending several hours finding every excuse possible to not get anything accomplished including but not limited to: trying every Starbucks drink on the menu, introducing yourself to random people and asking about their home lives, making up strange dances that you perform for the rest of the library, and watching every YouTube video ever. You finally begin to study at 4:15am with a 10am exam close by. You are scared.

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Expectation: You come into the test prepared, with a good nights sleep under your belt and a balanced breakfast having been consumed. You are dressed well (dress for success and all that jazz), and you feel good about your exams that day. You pass Susie as you walk to class and she smiles and asks about your day. Finals week isn’t so bad.

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Reality: You have fifteen minutes to get ready before your exam because you overslept (staying up until 6 am probably wasn’t the best move), you throw on the least smelly of the assortment of grout-fits (grey outfits) strewn across your bedroom floor and grab a pop tart as you walk out the door. You pass Susie on your way to class and she’s twitching and muttering to herself about something related to stripping. Finals week is hell.

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Expectation: You make it through finals week, you are home free – ready to start your fabulous internship for the summer and excited to get super tan and go bar hopping with your friends in whatever fabulous city you plan to be in this summer.

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Reality: You barely made it through your finals and just pray to yourself that you didn’t completely bomb one of them. You are excited to return home but already exhausted by the thought of the long summer of serving and babysitting that lies in front of you.