Finals week is something that nearly every adult has experienced, is experiencing, or will experience at least one time in their life. Okay, but what really makes this week so distinguishable from the rest? Perhaps it’s the feeling of functioning on 3 hours of sleep supplemented by espresso after espresso, so much that the baristas at the Starbucks on Campus know you by name and order. Or maybe it’s the 12 hour stays at the library each night to the point that you feel like you own the place and walk around in your socks and pajamas as if it were your dorm room.

The thing is, for every other exam or every other large deadline, there was a lack of urgency and determination. For the first exam, many study and put much effort into it as well. But as each following exam rolled around the corner, students seemed to drop like flies; a few dropping the class after the first or second exam and then a mass wave after the third or fourth, and now all that’s left are those students who either: (a) Have the grade they want, (b) think they can scrape by with that pass, or (c) missed the drop deadline or didn’t know how. You could be one of those who GTFO of that class after one off the first few exams, or even someone who is reading this article when they’re supposed to be studying…. Either way, the magic of finals week is real because somehow (despite the lack of sleep, grumpiness, and insane level of stress) students across the globe just seem to “get” it.

They “get” the need to end all social aspects of their lives (save the quick conversation at the Starbucks register); they “get” and do not judge those who reach their emotional breaking point and have melt-downs; they “get” the urge to call up that one shady guy who deals Adderall… It’s because they’re all in this same boat together. But the boat feels like it’s the Titanic… and it’s on fire… and sinking… down into the ocean… straight into Hell….

But it’s kind of frustrating because some people don’t get the importance of finals week. They don’t realize why students get so stressed or irritated. They must also not realize that a majority of students were raised with the mindset to succeed and to do their best in order to achieve the goal. It’s kind of hard to “just relax” when so much depends on this class or the degree. It’s also hard to see yourself get a B in a class when you’ve already put so much blood, sweat, and tears into the past 3 exams that you kind of deserved an A. Perhaps the only thing worse is knowing that you could do better and there’s no way to go back.

So maybe that’s the magic of Finals week. We all just want to be done with the semester while simultaneously wanting to get a good grade (which can be mathematically shown as: “lol whatever I’m done” + “ok but I really need to get an A in this class or I will explode” = “I hate this” *keeps studying*). And really it’s a great time of year because despite the stress and unhealthy amounts of caffeine and other substances consumed, we’re not alone. We’ve got 1+ million others who would look at our situation no matter how wacky and respond with: “same” or maybe “true”. So let’s study hard, drink that coffee (I would say away from the cocaine this time), get that A (or B or C or Pass)! Whatever the situation is, just think: Christmas is soon. New Year’s soon. This year is over soon. #newyearnewme2017. Retaking a class really isn’t that bad (it’s like just a step above that feeling you had when you didn’t pass your driver’s license test the first time).

Study on.