It’s war time. My favorite time of the year. Our enemy is in sight, and by enemy I mean this huge, massive, drooling thing that is mockingly looming over our premature Santa hats.
But seriously, I’m about to give you the secret to crushing finals on a golden platter.
There is no secret. Just look forward to them.
Treat finals like an extension of Thanksgiving break: no classes, all of your family is together in the library taking rotational shifts at the Davis booths, a perfect excuse to buy the venti Caramel Brule latte AND the marble pound cake, and a get-out-of-jail free pass for wearing the same sweatpants three days in a row. Y’all. It actually can’t get much better.
You are probably thinking I’m crazy right about now. Brielle, what the heck, you’ve left out all the stress and the panic and the unceasing scantron bubbling.
I know, believe me, I know — but finals are absolutely unavoidable. Even if you step out in front of a bus, you will still have to take them eventually (I Googled this freshman year). And you are surrounded by 18,000 other undergraduates who are angry about exams too. Why not be the Kit Kat in a sea of lemon heads?
A good attitude is this cliché thing your mom reminds you to always strive for like Jess in New Girl, and I hate it just as much as you do.
But it really does work. I have a laundry list of sad finals talismans and “tricks” like using plain paper for study sheets, bringing breakfast to the outside of Davis at 7 a.m. in order to get in line for a booth, and setting aside a lump sum of money for coffee to avoid the post-latte-purchase remorse.
I try fooling myself but in all honesty none of my personal exam luck charms have ever contributed to my mental health and happiness during finals. It’s the late night candy runs with friends that make finals bearable (and even fun).
I promise I don't float around on pixie dust between LDOC and Christmas break. Finals have made me cry, shake, have chest pains, and verbally express my hatred for our school. But those are just moments, and moments pass.
Find something that makes the pit in your stomach vanish and the stress headache cease and cling to it with your life, because that’s what’s important.
"I think the thing to do is enjoy the ride while you're on it."
— Johnny Depp
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