The Joys of Midterms

With midterms approaching, I find it hard to think of anything but equations and metabolic functions in cells. Luckily, I do not have to worry a lot about the English midterm; instead of the standard essay accompanied with increased stress and carpal tunnel syndrome, our midterm will consist of blog entries, accumulated over countless Sunday nights. Because I do not have to study for the English midterm, I have more time to concentrate on preparing for my other midterms. I can already picture the stacks of note-cards, mathematical formulas drawn on my mirror, stacks of books, the harsh lighting of the fluorescent lights in Starbucks and my growing late fees at the public library.

Along with cramming my brain with a semester's worth of information, I can also recognize finals week by the mounds of garbage piling up in my room, consisting mainly of empty Monster and Diet Coke cans, Oreo cookie packages and empty jars of peanut butter. As the amount of sleep I get per night decreases, my caffeine consumption increases. I recognize the end of midterms when employees at the Starbucks in town start addressing me by name. While taking my midterms, I resemble a zombie. I have terrible bedhead and bags under my eyes, wear a comfortable sweatshirt and sweatpants and have a coffee in one hand and a freshly sharpened number two pencil in the other. I keep an extra set of batteries in my purse, along with Kleenex, Advil, a pack of gum to improve my concentration and a Five Hour Energy Shot in case of emergencies.

At this point in my high school career, I consider myself a skilled veteran in terms of handling the stress that accompanies midterms. As I prepare to take my last set of midterms in high school, I can already taste the sweet freedom of next semester: the infamous second semester of one's senior year of high school. I can only hope that it will live up to expectations; I expect to spend my time coloring in coloring books, playing on the playground and napping during nap time. Until then, I can only look at my haggard face in the mirror and look forward to the happy, smiling face that I will see staring back at me in a few short weeks.