We’ve all fallen prey to leaving studying for an exam to the last minute, whether it was self-inflicted or just bad timing. We grunt, we groan and we get down to business in our library of choice accompanied by endless Starbucks cups and maybe a friend suffering alongside us. Our butts get cramps from sitting so long, our eyes get droopy and our thoughts begin to wonder, “Is a degree really worth this torture?” The answer is yes, so hang in there because in 12 short hours, you will take your exam and you will be free.
8 a.m.: Full of Hope
You enter the library, and to your surprise you are probably arriving around the same time as the library staff. There was ample scooter parking, which shocked you until you remembered that no normal person studies at 8 a.m. on a Sunday. You grab your Starbucks, pleasantly surprised by the absence of any line and you pick out your prime table of choice to stake out in.
10 a.m.: The Groupchat AttackThough you initially started studying intently like the focused and disciplined student you pretend to be, your phone lit up around 9:40 a.m. The friends in your group chat just woke up, and now brunch plans are being made. You really could go for a mimosa right now. But it will have to wait because your exam is tomorrow morning and you’re still not even sure what chapters are being covered on it. You study on.
Noon: Please Feed MeAt this point you are ravenous and had to politely ask someone to watch your stuff for a moment while you go outside to meet the Jimmy John’s delivery person. You take a 30-minute break to eat your Turkey Tom and go on Instagram and Facebook because “you deserve it.” Yeah, right. You have only covered one-fourth of your exam material at this point, but you just really needed to see what your sorority sisters are up to.
2 p.m.: The “I Have no Idea What I’m Doing” Revelation
You have now spent half of your 12-hour spree in the library and you realize you still have not covered 50 percent of the information. Screwed? Probably. Discouraged? Completely. Persevering? Most likely. You get another shot of espresso and keep on working because you’ll be celebrating with another form of shots if you actually do well on this exam. You post a Snapchat of yourself with a miserable expression, put your phone on airplane mode to resist further temptation and continue to try to learn a semester’s worth of information in a day.
4 p.m.: Looking RoughNearly your entire day has passed by, and you’ve only been watching it from the window next to your table. You see happy, non-stressed people walking outside and wish you were one of them. Your hair has somehow gotten greasy from all of your stress and your face looks like one of someone who is not well. When did that zit appear? At this point nearly every person you have ever met has passed by your table at the library at least once at some point during the day, and you just hope they couldn’t see the suffering in your eyes (or, you know, the zit).
6 p.m.: The Light at the End of the TunnelYou’re in the final stretch. You feel that you confidently could at least pass this exam tomorrow with a C. To your fragile state of mind, learning at least 70 percent of the information in one day is a huge accomplishment. You have already submitted your second Jimmy John’s delivery of the day, and at this point they already know you by name and order. Your Snapchat story from 2 p.m. has gotten 89 views, and your crush even replied to it. You don’t open it because that will be your reward for when you leave the library. You read on.
8 p.m.: The Beyoncé Exit
You have done the unthinkable. You have made it through your 12-hour cramming session. You feel as prepared as you could possibly be for your exam, and you have been washed over with exhaustion. You pack up your backpack, acknowledging that you smell a little weird and your legs feel a little like jelly. You pass all of the other souls withering away in their books and Smokin’ Notes and are glad that your study time is over. You walk out of the library, finally, with pride, relief and an exam to go crush.
Good luck collegiettes, and may the curve be ever in your favor!
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