When the going gets rough in college, and I mean rough, you might be surprised at what kinds of situations you will succumb to during your week. People try to warn you that college is hard, the work load is nothing compared to high school and that you really ought to plan for more strategic study habits, but until what I’d like to call “college hell week” slaps you in the face at 90 mph, you truly don’t understand how difficult this whole “college thing” can be. Take it from me—here are a few circumstances you may just find yourself in during one of these weeks.
It’s only Monday, and you’re already pulling an all-nighter. You have an eight-page paper due in your first class Tuesday morning, so you stay up until 6:30 a.m. writing with only your cat to keep you company. You nap for one hour because you can’t take it any longer, and then you shower and you’re off to campus to print out the final product of your sleep deprived efforts. Do not fear. You have a test in your first class Wednesday morning, so you’re up late studying again. You have no energy to pull off a second all-nighter, but you only get a mere six hours of sleep—a little something so that you don’t fall asleep while you’re bubbling in your Scantron.
On Tuesday, before your paper is due, you notice that Chick-fil-A’s biscuits are BOGO, so you stop by the drive thru and manage to eat both biscuits before you make it to class. You have no time to make it to the grocery store after class because you have a test on Wednesday to study for, remember? So, what’s your next best dinner plan? Chick-fil-A round two of course—a large Coke is just what you’ll need to kick start your study clock.
Before you knew “college hell week” was upon you, you had the bright idea to clean your room and change your sheets. Oh, if only you could see into the future, you might warn yourself that for the next week you’ll sleep on your bed without any sheets—just a pillow and blanket—every night except that all-nighter. You’ll finally put sheets on your bed when your mom tells you she’s coming to town for a surprise visit!
And then, as the week winds down, you will make it to Saturday night. You’ll go to bed late because you’ll want to hang out with your friends after barely surviving what may have been the worst week of your life, and you’ll sleep until 2:00 p.m. the next day. Twelve hours of sleep still might not be enough to help you recuperate, so you’ll stay in your pajamas until 5:00 p.m., and you’ll finally shower when your boyfriend decides to treat you to a nice meal. You deserve it!
You have four (or more) long years ahead of you in college, so you’re bound to have a couple of “college hell weeks” during your stay. From me to you, just embrace the crazy. It’ll make for a funny story later!
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Cover Photo by Davide Cantelli on Unsplash