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Getting through exams when you’re unprepared

Finally. Sometimes I thought it would never come.

But, you see, here’s the thing. Although I’m glad that the work is almost over and I’ll be going home to four weeks of zero academic responsibilities, at the same time, I don’t want it to end. My first semester of college has been very good to me – albeit stressful much of the time – and I wish it could last just a little bit longer. I don’t know what the future holds (a lot of work, I imagine), so I’d rather stick with what I have now – great classes, some semblance of a social life, and experiences that I’ll never forget with people whom I’ll always cherish. Though I would like to skip those final exams, if you don’t mind.

Of course, time waits for no woman. This semester won’t last forever, which I suppose is a good thing for some. It’s time to start looking ahead to January and my second semester of college. Armed with three months’ worth of knowledge on how to handle the college life, I should be able to breeze through the spring without too much trouble. Right?

Well, the more I think about it, the more I start to believe it might not be that much of a cakewalk. There’s the second (and infinitely more difficult) introductory film analysis course I’m taking next semester in which I must get a B+ or better to even apply for the film studies major…yikes. And the English class I’m taking is rumored to be unusually heavy on the reading; while I do love to read and the syllabus looks incredible, I don’t want Thomas Hardy and Oscar Wilde to completely consume my life. Then there are the two science classes I’m obliged to take in order to get my distribution requirements out of the way. Me + science/math = a very sorry equation.

Okay, so the academics are still going to be tough. But, hey, what else can you expect from an institution of higher education? Classes aside, at least, the next semester should be easier to deal with. I’ve already adjusted nicely to life on campus, I’ve made a fantastic group of friends, and I’m involved in some extra-curricular activities that I enjoy. If I could survive the fall, I’ll be able to survive the spring.

I hope.

Maybe looking ahead this intently isn’t such a bright idea right now, when I have finals to worry about. But all my worries aside, I’m positive that the spring semester is going to bring with it some of the best experiences of my life. And warm weather…thank God.

What are you looking forward to most about starting a new semester of school?

In some ways, I like the unclear path. I am taking classes because they sound interesting, not because they will help me complete a major. I am learning just because I want to, and my grades are just because I want to try my best, not because I know I am looking for a certain grad school or want to impress future employees. For all I know, I could be studying subjects which will be completely irrelevant to my future. So I have no pressure.

Except, I still have pressure. In some ways, it’s even more than I had in high school. Sure, it’s not like I know I have to get a certain GPA and do certain activities to get into college. But now that I’m here, I can’t believe there’s no more plan. I am the kind of person who plans out her entire future—not minute-by-minute or a 10-year-plan, more like a general idea of what’s to come– but now I have no concept of past college. All my life, I knew I was going to go to graduate high school and go to college. Now I’m here, and I can check that off the list.

What’s next? Grad school? An internship? A job? All I’ve ever done is be a student. I am good at that; I can study, write essays and take tests. I envy my friends who know what they want to be. One studies political science, so she wants to go into politics. One has a knack for design and math, and he’s planning on being an engineer.

I just like learning Spanish. But no, I don’t want to be a teacher, and right now I don’t think translating sounds that wonderful. I like writing, but I’m not betting on that being a life-long career. In fact, I like most of the subjects I learn, but none link directly to a career which catches my eye.

So here I am, one semester down, seven to go. And then what? Well, I guess I’ll figure that out soon, hopefully. But for now, I’ll settle for an undeclared student with no plans whatsoever except one part of her 10-year-plan: start planning one.

Let me help.

I don’t want to make college sound like incarceration, and indeed the possibilities for fun are numerous, but there many things that definitely will not happen once you arrive on campus. Here are things you should enjoy in your last week at home.

1) Quiet Time

College is noisy as balls. Normal dorms are noisy, quiet dorms are noisy, the library is noisy. The only guaranteed silence you may have at your disposal is if you’re a music student with access to sound proof booths. Everyone has speakers and they all want to share their music with you! So in your last week of boring old home, just sit outside (or in your room if outside is noisy), close your eyes, and enjoy the sound of absolutely nothing. It is soon to be replaced with ‘WOOOOOO’ and “seriously let me in I need to PEE.”

2) Food without chemicals

I would say ‘good old home cookin’ but who knows if you enjoy that. The real point here is that the food you eat on campus, while edible and in a lot of cases yummy, has a certain…difference. I don’t know if it’s a laxative, or sedative to keep students in line, but something is in the food. It’s not dangerous but it will make you take dumps 20 minutes after every meal, on the dot. The regularity is nice, but also a little worrisome.

3) Free laundry / Maid service

Your mommy ain’t comin’ with ya. So get all that free laundry and labor in while you can, because in a week you will learn exactly how much your parents do for you. (Hint, it’s a lot). Enjoy walking barefoot on carpet without having your foot caked in human hair, cookie crumbs, and other various and disgusting particles.

4) Uninterrupted sleep

“HEY ARE YOU AWAKE?” Your drunken roommate will scream as they ‘sneak’ into your shared room. “I AM DRUNK.” You will have plenty of chances to sleep in at college but sleeping for long periods without being woken up by spontaneous parties or even worse, the drunk hookup (where they think, in their drunkenness, that you are asleep), is not really an option.

5) Sharing is caring

Living with people means sharing. Hell, even if you get a single, chances are you’re going to be sharing a bathroom, a common room and general living spaces with all types of different people. Enjoy watching your own TV, having your own fridge (sort of), and not being asked every time you leave your room if someone can borrow your stapler, use your printer, or have some pens.

[How are YOU spending your last week of peace?]