You may have blocked this out of your head until now, but finals are almost here. You know what that means? Late night study sessions with your review packets in hand, comfort food paired with caffeine, and all the lack of sleep that comes with it. It's a wondrous, yet chaotic, dreadful, sleepless whirlwind that marks the end of the semester. After all of it, you'll be either catching up on sleep, celebrating with friends, going home for break or all of the above. Here are the 43 emotional stages of finals we've all been through.
1. You just remembered finals are coming up and you realize you are SO unprepared in every way for it.
2. And you've either not paid attention, slept through or skipped so many important class lectures. *internal panic mode activated*
3. So, it's the week (or weekend) before finals and you cram a semester or two's worth of material into one epic study session. I got this, right?
4. Wrong. You realize you cannot do this alone and that if you invite your friends over to form a study group, you probably can get much more done. After all, many hands make light work. And you're all about light work during finals week.
5. When really all of that is just a lie because you haven't seen your friends socially in weeks and it just becomes a study partay in the library.
6. By the time you and your group of friends gets down to studying, you realize you all need more coffee to function for the rest of the night ahead of you.
7. Also, you definitely want some more food too.
8. And then you finally start your journey of studying when the night has become not so young.
9. After studying for a few hours and completing a few practice quizzes, review sheets or possibly some finely-written index cards to aid you on your final, you feel like the night was yours to own.
10. And when you're finally ready to wake up from the 15-minute power nap you had in the library to head to your final, it feels like you are embodying either a zombie or a wounded soldier. Your red, bloodshot eyes are the only thing you're bringin' to this final.
11. You sit down for the final and are waiting for it to start, but you have a sudden epiphany that you needed to bring a #2 pencil for the machine-made Scantron bubble sheet.
12. But then your teacher provides new #2 pencils and you realize that the bubble sheets mean the test has to include multiple choice...
13. And you think you'll own it because process of elimination is totally your thing.
14. But then you see a multiple choice question that has multiple correct looking answers.
15. And you're trying to make an informed decision, but you're also trying to turn back time and remember what the professor said about the topic when you were half paying attention to their lecture.
16. Guess, move on, please be right...Please. Be. Right.
17. And if it's wrong, get ready because when you're erasing the wrong answer with a new #2 pencil it's hell.
18. Oh look! A question I'VE NEVER SEEN ON THE STUDY GUIDE AND WE'VE NEVER TALKED ABOUT IN CLASS. I'm so done.
19. You peer over to see someone close trying to copy you. You don't want to get them in trouble, but you def want to give them "the look."
20. You look back at your paper and just realize you've completed the first sheet. YAS!
21. But there's another sheet. And another sheet. And it's a packet.
22. And guess what? Not multiple choice anymore. Short answers, b*tch.
23. Some of the short answer questions ask you to explain your answer with supporting details when you're basically just like...
24. You then flip through the entire packet. Essay questions are in your future. Say hello to three paragraphs or more for each question and wrist cramps for the rest of the day.
25. It's at that mid-final point in the room and everyone is silent, except your neighbor of course. He or she is either tapping their pencil way too many times or chewing gum WAY too loud.
26. And your other neighbor gets up and is the first one to finish the final. How did they even do the questions that quick? Can you complete my final?
27. But, you are also kinda glad they finished because everyone is staring at him/her in awe as they walk out the door. That's too much attention for your liking.
28. You look back at your own final realizing you wanna walk out too and leave the rest unfinished because you've lost interest in anything that requires more effort.
29. You've become lazy.
30. You've resorted to just writing down something (literally ANYTHING) to further you along on your quest to finish this final.
31. You've even at this point contemplated causing a distraction or interruption to have your professor possibly end the final early.
32. Distraction accomplished: another few people leave the room.
33. When you hear someone say, "That final was so easy," as they're walking out the door. Did we take the same final, bro?
34. The final and how easily others seem to be completing it has you stressing so hard and you contemplate your life goals, motivation level and plans.
35. And then you just end up laughing because all your plans usually go out the window anyway.
36. You become literally the last person in the room finishing the final. Loneliness is so real.
37. And you suddenly have passed the stage where you are too tired, stressed or hungry and get an enormous second wind of energy. You begin slaying the rest of the essay questions on your final.
38. When you know your answer on an essay question is right and well written.
39. YOU. ARE. DONE.
40. Getting out of that room be like...
41. You get to eat and sleep and both feel like heaven on earth.
42. And then you get to celebrate the end of the semester with friends before going off on a much-deserved break!
43. When you get your grade back and it's not as bad as you thought.