Night(mare) before Exams
Graphics by Anika Dua
'Twas the night before exams, when libraries are packed.
Textbooks open, the mind an anxious mess
You regret procrastinating, you have no option but to cram!
During exam season, the taps and clicks of fingers feverishly pounding out notes, the scent of highlighter and coffee wafting through the dorms and libraries, and the ongoing struggle with textbooks, scribbling and highlighting are the most common sights and sounds. It's a time when stress and procrastination meet, and libraries become a battleground for sleep-deprived warriors attempting to survive this final war. As the horrible hour of reckoning arrives, we all react differently.
In Denial
In a state of denial, some students spend their nights binge-watching funny animal videos on YouTube or scrolling through TikTok. Each video looks more intriguing than ever before. Exams hang over them like a gloomy cloud, yet they remain certain that they have plenty of time to complete the curriculum. "I'll study in the morning," they say, with a nonchalance that would make professional procrastinators feel ashamed.
Last minute Crammers
Others declare that this is THE night. They want to cram an entire semester's worth of material in one huge cram session. They delve deeply into textbooks, lecture notes, and PowerPoint presentations, armed with an inexhaustible magic pouch of energy drinks and snacks. The zeal with which they strive to absorb knowledge makes one wonder if they are learning or performing an exorcism on the subject.
Superstitious worshippers
In a library nook, you could discover a group of students performing strange rituals in the hopes of summoning the academic deities for good fortune and unparalleled luck. These people believe in every superstition they've ever heard, from wearing lucky socks to performing mnemonic chants. No superstition is too strange. If it worked for their sister's best friend's cousin's roommate once, it must work again, right?
Crisis Management experts
Meanwhile, a group of kids have already accepted their fate. They emphasize crisis management above genuine studies with a sigh of resignation. They scramble to remember that one acquaintance who might have an old set of notes or devise intricate schemes on how to anticipate the most likely test questions with the precision of a seasoned fortune teller. Nothing is off-limits, including tarot cards, and intense group seances.
Master Procrastinators
Procrastinators are people who, despite having weeks to prepare, acquire a passion for cleaning their rooms, making exquisite delicacies, or arranging their sock drawers once it's time to study. "Oh, you wanted to stroll to the dome and back? "Of course, why not?" Anything appears more appealing than the impending reality of tests.
The night before exams is a tragic comedy of blunders in which chaos reigns supreme and coffee is the only antidote to everyone turning into zombies. It's an emotional rollercoaster you can't wait to get off of and go home. So, to everyone fighting to survive during this period, I hope your pens become the sharpest swords, slicing down each lumbering giant test question in your way.
Happy Exam season! And may the odds be ever in your favor.