A New Allergy

The mood on campus has sincerely changed.  It's gloomier, quieter, and no, not just because the temperature gauge outside says 48 degrees and it gets dark around 5 p.m.  Students, who would normally put forth a little effort before strolling outside, can be seen in sweatpants with messily thrown together ponytails lugging backpacks and cups of coffee around.  Yup, it's beginning to look a lot like finals season.

This is the last week of classes for us.  I know, so odd.  I don't come home until the 21st yet my last class is Friday.  That is because, we get a solid week of just "reading" and "studying" before the final festivities begin.  Suddenly, the club RNR is no longer the hot spot to be on a Friday, but Gelman Library is.  Students swarm its hot, stifling floors, bringing laptops and study aides and food, lots of food.  Students no longer go on dates, it's "want to commiserate with me as I study for my poli sci final?"  Hell, on our budget, it's a pretty good date if you ask me.

My friends and I have never studied for anything of this magnitude before.  I've had finals, yes.  They have been hard, yes.  However, they weren't university finals.  They weren't GW Honors Program finals.  They weren't finals that I discovered I was allergic to.

I seem to recall writing a similar blog come finals time last year.  My opinion hasn't changed, on high school finals that is.  I agree with college finals.  It adds accountability to the students, who may choose to never go to class.  Granted studying will be insane, but that stuff you get in lectures can't be found in the books. 

Thinking of all I have to study makes me cry, just a little.  I think this quote by my roommate pretty much sums it all up:

Me: "Sarah, why are you eating your ice cream in the hallway?"

Sarah:  "Because my paper is inside."