Dear present self-experiencing week 9 in a quarter system that seems both endless and far too short,

Hey there, how’s it going? Dumb question, I know because I know exactly how you’re feeling and will, cause you know time. You’re probably sitting motionless, too exhausted to do any basic human functions. Too tired to get up, make food, or even coffee, the strongest motivation of all. You know you’re hurting when you can’t even bring yourself to make a cup of coffee.

But alas, there is no reason to want to. All you want to do is sleep, or not even sleep, just lay down contently on a cloud worry free snuggled up in your plushy down white comforter. What could be better? The answer: nothing. And during such times of longing and fighting all basic instincts, I feel you. These next couple weeks are no joke. It is not a time to celebrate, but a time to wallow.

Week 9 feels like it will be an eternity. With Week 10 so close in the distance with no sense of relief in sight with finals shortly to follow, the path seems clear, but you don’t want to follow the journey to get there. Hell, you don’t even want to take one step, just stillness. What’s wrong with stillness?

But this week will move without you if you don’t get on it. I realize how much that sounded like a daily horoscope email, but in this case, it is indeed written in the stars. Don’t lose hope just yet. Finish strong as you know you inevitably will after hours of procrastination and 'Master of None'. It’s easy to want to start to slow down, but be wary you don’t become too sluggish and unproductive.

Also, you are almost done! Emphasis on the almost to the 100th degree! You can do this, even though you really don’t want to. Trust me, once you're a couple weeks into summer you’ll be begging to have stuff to do to pass the time. You might not love the assignments you’ve done or the ones yet to come, but it beats having to make decisions which you are prone to getting off your plate as quick as possible, quicker than a batch of homemade warm chocolate chip cookies (even the Nestle ones are irresistible).

You’re probably infuriatingly frustrated by that last part. You don’t know me. I want to make all the decisions to not do anything! True, and valid. But it’s not the time, not yet anyway. Plus, you want to be making decisions during an extensive period of time as opposed to a time where you already have a shelf stacked with several to do lists.

Take a breath. Make a plan. Stick it out. You can do anything because as the recently returning 'Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt' reminds us, you’re alive damn it, and it’s truly a miracle.

In the highest of regards and sincere and not at all sarcastic advice,

Past Mariah