College is not an easy task to accomplish. However, it's a million times harder during one particular time of the semester.
Finals week.
From stress-induced breakdowns to staying up all night in a last ditch attempt to pass your biology final to late night Walmart runs because you're out of chocolate, finals week is quite the adventure. I think we've all had those moments where you want to scream and/or pull your hair out. And, as usual, Gossip Girl can describe finals week way better than I can.
1. You lose your ability to determine what emotion you are experiencing.
Once upon a time, someone asked me how I was and I replied, "Chemistry. Wait, what?" College seems to have this fascinating talent where it takes all of your emotions and scrambles them around until you don't even understand what you're feeling.
2. You stop caring whether or not you look decent enough to go out in public and just do it anyway.
College makes you realize that nobody cares if you look like a hundred bucks or a rusty penny when you're all sitting in the same 7:00 AM algebra class, wishing you were still asleep. Half the time, I end up wearing dresses to class because I simply cannot find it within me to put on pants. This philosophy is a hundred times stronger during finals weeks. Case in point, one kid came to our biology final in a Snuggie. True story.
3. You lose the majority of your patience.
You may have been a patient person before, but now you have a new motto. "Get in, get out." This also applies to stupid questions. You find yourself rolling your eyes a lot more and being polite a lot less. It's okay, though. Finals is definitely a legitimate excuse for being a little bit...not yourself.
4. People look at you like you're crazy when you're actually in a genuinely good mood.
As anyone who has experienced a college finals week can tell you, your temperament will not be nearly as nice and friendly as it usually is. Chances are, you will raise your voice a few times and scowl at the general public. So naturally, when you choose to smile at them instead, some people are going to get suspicious.
5. You start to deeply resent the classes you once loved.
The worst thing about finals week is that you grow to hate your favorite subjects. It feels like such a betrayal when you walk into your Approaches to Literature final with a giant smile on and complete confidence, and then you get a six page packet that makes you question your desire to be an English major. I still remember walking into my Biology final my first semester with an abundance of information in my head and walking out an hour later only half knowing my own name. This would be one of the reasons I switched majors after that semester.
6. Your coping methods may get a little odd.
Finals week makes you act more impulsive than you usually do. I'll give you one guess as to what week was going on when I bought $45 worth of Canadian mints. Yep. Finals week.
7. You know there is no way you're getting out of that one class with higher than a B.
Everyone has that one class that you know you're barely going to pass. Even if you ace the final, something horrible is going to happen and your grade is going to plummet. It's the bane of your existence and at this point, you're just relieved it's almost over.
8. You're freaking out because it feels like all of your life aspirations depend on this final.
It's probably a core credit that no one really even cares about, but for some reason, you feel like this grade is going to make or break your future. Hence the reason you're still awake at three in the morning trying to memorize something you already know.
9. You've started a life of solitude.
The moment finals week commences, you are on your own. Except for the occasionally study group, you're basically a hermit, locked in your room with a dozen textbooks and only the bright screen of your laptop to keep you company.
10. That moment when you have a flashback Friday moment.
We've all had those moments where you're taking your final like a good student when suddenly, it appears. A question that you're 99% sure was on that test you took at least two semesters ago. So you sit there and try to think back to a year ago when you still knew this stuff. Spoiler alert: you rarely succeed at this.
11. There's always that one person that insists on trying to distract you.
There's always one. Someone who either wants your attention or just doesn't realize your life hangs in the balance until finals are over. At first, you try to be nice. You try to politely tell them that it's not the time for shenanigans or conversations. No, now is the time for panic and caffeine. Sometimes, they don't take the hint and you resort to bluntness.
12. Happy people irritate you.
You're absolutely miserable, so how on earth is anyone else content? You may have a wonderfully supportive boyfriend, but it's finals week, so you can hardly stand a ten second conversation with your significant other due to the amount of stress you're under. Sorry, honey, I'll love you again after I pass my British Lit final. Personally, unless my boyfriend is offering me energy drinks and chocolate or quizzing me on my flashcards, I will probably throw something at him for distracting me.
13. Your professors are constantly reminding you that your exam will consist of 60 multiple choice and 20 short answer and at least two essays.
While our professors are lovely people, they are not very helpful when it comes to the "ignorance is bliss" concept. I mean, can't you see I'm trying to wait until the final is actually here to think about it? I just want to relax and put off studying for as long as possible because I know that it will turn me into a raging beast.
14. And then you're sitting in the classroom actually taking your finals...
And it's not horrible! All your hard work and late nights of studying have paid off because you actually know the answers. All you have to do now is put your knowledge to the test and finish your finals.
14. You did it. It's over and you can say goodbye to finals until next semester.
Woo! You're done! See, that wasn't that bad, right? Okay, it sucked. But you did it and now you're done for a few months! Go grab your friends or significant others and celebrate! Get out of the house/dorm/apartment and have some fun! You definitely deserve it.
