I'm sure the words “sleep deprivation,” “stressed out” and “cumulative final” were not a part of the ABC’s you learned in Kindergarten. But now, in college, those words are used frequently when talking about school, especially during the week of finals-- aka the week from hell. Unfortunately, none of your finals will be as easy as it is reciting the ABC’S. Every college student can relate to the sleepless week called finals. Now let's learn an entirely new set of ABC’s but in finals version.
A is for... Anticipating the outcome
B is for... Brain blown from cumulative finals
After finals, you're lucky that you even remember your name. But don't worry, I bet you know every muscle in the body or every quote in a book after your finals.
C is for... Coma from over studying
D is for... Dysfunctional study habits
No, studying for 15 minutes and then taking an hour break to watch Netflix is not a great study habit.
E is for... Every college student can relate
During finals week we all become one, we feel and understand each other's pain. By the end, we compare how long have gone without sleep as if its a competition or an achievement.
F is for... Fast food overload
G is for... Grades that your parents are dreaming for
Parents don't get how stressful and intense school gets at some points, especially during finals. They are at home dreaming of unrealistic grades while you are crying over a textbook the night before an exam that you've studied for the past week. In some instances, our expectations and our parents are totally different.
H is for... House-bound for a week
For the week leading into finals and the week of finals is when you say goodbye to the outside world you once knew. Your desk is where your body will stay put at until finals are over. You will eat, live and breathe studying.
I is for... I will get through this
J is for... just when you thought you were done, you remember that essay due
That means type as fast as you can while also multi-tasking so you can study for the other 9 final exams you have.
K is for... kiss your social life goodbye
L is for... Library is your new home
M is for... Missing your easy high school life
Your high school life that you wished away starts to sound better and better as finals week starts up.
N is for... Netflix vs studying decision
We have all had experienced the difficult decision of whether to keep on studying or take a break to watch Netflix. However, we all know saying we will only watch one episode really turns into 5-7 episodes.
O is for... Oh shit I have many more semesters to go
P is for... Prayer and pints of ice cream
Not really sure which is more needed, praying to make it through the next week or the multiple pints of ice cream you will need to get through. Personally ice cream is a necessity during the hell of week thats' called finals. Also, puppies are always a remedy for finals.
Q is for... Quality time with study buddies
If you haven't realized this yet, study groups are a must during finals. You get to endure the painful hours spent studying together, which makes it a little less painful. If your anything like my study group, you'll come up with funny sayings to remember things for the exam.
R is for... Ready for Christmas break
The sentence "Christmas break where you at?" comes out of college students mouth multiple times a day while studying. Christmas break is the end of the long tunnel, seems like forever to reach it.
S is for... Sleep deprivation
Sleep just does not exist during finals, we just have to come to terms with this. If you want to succeed, then you don't sleep. By the end of the week, you start to look like Amy Poehler in this picture.
T is for... Takeout, Tylenol and textbooks
By the end of the week, you'll be surrounded by takeout containers, gone through a bottle of Tylenol thanks to headaches and can't see past the wall of textbooks you are sitting around.
U is for... Ugly is the new fashion for that week
For the week of finals, it is totally acceptable to roll out of bed and go right to class without even brushing your hair or changing clothes. Judgement doesn't exist as we are all just struggling to make it to the end. The girl in your lecture who shows up in a Snuggie starts to actually seem smart for thinking of that.
V is for... Viscous cycle that will be repeated next semester
After your last final first comes relief that it's over and you've made it, but then comes the realization that you still have many more semesters left of this. But let's not worry about that for the next month!
W is for... Wallowing in your sorrows
You are totally allowed to wallow in your sorrows, it;s actually kind of expected after the hell of a week and semester that you just endured.
X is for... X marks the spot where my body has sat for the past 72+ hours studying
The only time you leave your studying spot is to occasionally get food or when you have to use the bathroom. Studying is what you do 24/7 up until exam day. At the end of the week, I'll be surprised if there isn't a permanent indentation in the seat for how long I've been sitting there.
Y is for... "You officially made it!"
Z is for... Zzz's you have to make up
After finals, you just feel so drained from staying up to ridiculous hours and running off very little sleep. Once all exams are completed you now have a valid excuse to do absolutely nothing and just sleep for a week to make up for the sleep you lost!
Always remember, you are not alone. Drink some coffee, study hard and take a long nap while you can. Just focus on your end goal. You're going to make it, I promise!
