Finals Week

Well, the past seven days were totally not stressful. Absolutely not. Why would you think that? I only had five tests, a presentation, three papers, and countless panics. No stress there!

If you take away the tests, the last week has been fun. With classes only a week ago Friday and last Monday, I had plenty of time for studying. Or, you know, watching YouTube videos with my roommate and catching up on TV shows.

The library brought in therapy dogs to help us de-stress. For twenty minutes both Monday and Tuesday night, three of us would walk over to pet the dogs. On Tuesday night, we even oh-so-nonchalantly walked over to the campus greenhouse to see if the two fluffiest, cuddliest cats on the planet were there.

Let the record show, I am a dog person. I even dislike cats, generally. They're cold, distant creatures that cannot be trusted.

But these cats are so wonderful. I don't care who you are, it is impossible to not like these cats. My roommate, one of my suitemates, and I delighted in finding them in the greenhouse. We held them and stroked them and felt happiness descend upon us. We also found joy in stirring a packet of hot chocolate mix in a cup of coffee.

Finals stressed me out, but only in waves. Between the waves, I had a good time. One night, the church on campus gave us a free breakfast. A group of us trekked over for the pancakes and bacon, setting aside our books and notes for carbs instead. It was a good choice.

Overall, I'm pleased with how my first finals week at college went. The only thing that surprised me was how long the week felt. Monday feels like it was ages ago. Thanksgiving is practically just a distant memory. Time slowed down just when I thought it would speed up.

So, here's my thoughts on my first semester: College is hard, maybe even harder than I expected. It was hard adjusting to the work-load, hard not being around my family regularly. It was hard not getting rest sometimes, even when I got plenty of sleep. It was hard not getting to hug my parents but once or twice a month. I'm not a crier, but I did cry this last semester. It was a big transition for me, and it took a good deal of work.
But it was also a little fun, getting new experiences and making lots of good friends. I am still confident that this is where God wants me. So, I guess I'll go back next semester and see what He has in store for me then.

Now, though, it's Christmas break. Time to sleep in, not stress (as much), read books I want to read, and catch up on movies with my sister.