(no subject)
The past two days were the most stressful, academically, that I've ever had. In an strangely vindicating way, they were also my last two days of high school work. I think I should do a timeline. I'll start Wednesday so you can see it build up:
Wednesday: The first of two reading days before finals. I figure, I'll have plenty of time--more than 48 hours!!--before my first exam Friday morning at 8:30. I wake up and go to school for the mock Student Court thing, which lasts until around 11. I still have to finish my religion paper. I figure I'll get some lunch, then return to school to finish the paper. But I realize I don't have my wallet! Curses! I have to finish it hungry, which sort of sets the tone for the next few days. Okay, so I come back home. I start to outline my answers for the 10 possible essay questions on the Political Science exam, but I get really tired--so I take a nap. What was I thinking?? I go to church to babysit and come home, studying from about 7-10. I take a "break" to get on AIM but end up not going back to the studying. I figure I'll have tons of time Thursday...
Thursday: I wake up and study for about an hour before I have to go to Tannenbaum. There is a school group--so it's loud. Once again, I'm trying to outline these questions for Political Science but I think I only have 3 done out of 10, and the exam is in 24 hours at this point!! I haven't really done much for French, which is Friday at 8:30...nevertheless, I return home and resume studying until 5, when I eat dinner and go to the French review session at school. The review session is fun, everyone's relaxed, and I'm in such a great mood when I get home! I make popcorn and tea and get to studying, and this is when the real trouble begins.
In Political Science, my teacher (Kyle) gave random pop quizzes, so I read regularly. Once in awhile, something really random happened and I didn't read (alarm didn't go off, didn't see the reading on the syllabus). This happened maybe 4 times during the semester...and those FOUR articles were the basis for FOUR of the possible essay questions he gave us!! So one of the articles is by this guy named Anthony Downs, about how American politics can be explained using economic principals. I start trying to skim it...and I cannot for the life of me understand it. I read and re-read paragraphs, and nothing comes through. After about 30 minutes of this (It's getting to be 10 PM on the day before 2 huge exams), I bust out crying. It was terrible. I do the whole "MOM" thing and she comes and tries to comfort me. Finally, I press on. Go to sleep around midnight because I'm exhausted and set the alarm for 5:10.
Friday: I wake up, go downstairs, and get in a good three hours studying for French before the exam at 8:30. At this point let me explain the chronology of my exams: French 8:30 Friday, American Political System 3 PM Friday, Religion 9 AM Saturday, 5-8 page English paper due Saturday by 8 PM. So, one thing after another. Ok, so I go to school and take the French test--the grammar part's not bad, pretty standard, but there are TWO essays. Written entirely in French. So I handwrote like 3 pages of French, in addition to all the grammar. I'm thinking that's pretty awesome!! As soon as I get out of that, at 11, I know I have 4 hours to study for the American Political System, and no time to waste--I still have to outline 3 essay questions. I go to the caf (ew--but they have a Brueggers Bagels place now!!!) and, over lunch, read every vocabulary definition in my Poli Sci book, which takes an hour. This leaves 3 hours for the essay outlining. I sit outside Founders, and it's windy, and stuff keeps blowing away.
Get to the Poli Sci exam. There are two questions that I know I CANNOT have, because I will freeze--I didn't understand the articles. He's giving 2 essays and you can choose one. First essay question I see--one of the ones I can't write! No!! But the second one was one that I could...whew. I finish that exam and experience a momentary feeling of relief, but it's not over yet. Not nearly. I feel impending doom as I realize that I still have to read and review for Religion and write a 5-8 page paper about advertising in the 1920s in the next 24 hours. Last night, I swear, I just went into this zone with studying. I sat, still, and made notecards about Dorothy Day for three straight hours. I can hear the fireworks Friday at the ballpark, and I honestly CANNOT believe that it is Friday. I then took a 10-minute break and went back to it--for another 2.5 hours. I went to bed and set my alarm for 6:30.
TODAY--Saturday-Got up, studied for Religion. Read articles about Progressive Islam and Buddhism. Went to school and STRAIGHT into the exam, and handwrote seven pages in two hours. This exam was noncumulative, but it was still on two books and class notes for the last two weeks--about fifteen pages worth. Afterwards, I feel TOTALLY drained. Just like...twitchy, you know? I get in my car and drive to Subway--eat a sandwich. Get some Starbucks on the way back to school. I then set up in the periodicals section of the library to write my paper. This is a room with huge wooden tables and those green study lamps, with big vaulted ceilings that echo every little noise. You can't get away with slacking in there at all, and that's what I needed. So I sit down around 11:45. Read an article, do some internet research (I'd read about 5 articles earlier this week). Start the paper at 2. Take a break at 3:30 to buy some fruit snacks downstairs, where Eric Lieu is studying (right next to the vending machine). Back to the paper--another break at 5 to talk to Paige for 20 minutes online. I finish the paper around 6 and email it to my mom for corrections. Print it off, and go to give it to Rod. I meet his wife and newborn baby, which was nice, but I still feel like he's probably the first teacher I've felt real tension with--like he doesn't like me. I needed the closure of actually handing him the paper.
I cannot believe that the last two days are over. Forty-eight hours ago, I felt like right now was SO FAR away. These past two days have me thinking about time--the saying "this too shall pass" is so right--but good things always pass, too. I don't know. Anyway, I needed to record that for my own personal knowledge. So I'll never look back and be like, "high school wasn't that hard." Because IT WAS, Future Angela!!
And now I'm done with high school. Oh Lord.
Wednesday: The first of two reading days before finals. I figure, I'll have plenty of time--more than 48 hours!!--before my first exam Friday morning at 8:30. I wake up and go to school for the mock Student Court thing, which lasts until around 11. I still have to finish my religion paper. I figure I'll get some lunch, then return to school to finish the paper. But I realize I don't have my wallet! Curses! I have to finish it hungry, which sort of sets the tone for the next few days. Okay, so I come back home. I start to outline my answers for the 10 possible essay questions on the Political Science exam, but I get really tired--so I take a nap. What was I thinking?? I go to church to babysit and come home, studying from about 7-10. I take a "break" to get on AIM but end up not going back to the studying. I figure I'll have tons of time Thursday...
Thursday: I wake up and study for about an hour before I have to go to Tannenbaum. There is a school group--so it's loud. Once again, I'm trying to outline these questions for Political Science but I think I only have 3 done out of 10, and the exam is in 24 hours at this point!! I haven't really done much for French, which is Friday at 8:30...nevertheless, I return home and resume studying until 5, when I eat dinner and go to the French review session at school. The review session is fun, everyone's relaxed, and I'm in such a great mood when I get home! I make popcorn and tea and get to studying, and this is when the real trouble begins.
In Political Science, my teacher (Kyle) gave random pop quizzes, so I read regularly. Once in awhile, something really random happened and I didn't read (alarm didn't go off, didn't see the reading on the syllabus). This happened maybe 4 times during the semester...and those FOUR articles were the basis for FOUR of the possible essay questions he gave us!! So one of the articles is by this guy named Anthony Downs, about how American politics can be explained using economic principals. I start trying to skim it...and I cannot for the life of me understand it. I read and re-read paragraphs, and nothing comes through. After about 30 minutes of this (It's getting to be 10 PM on the day before 2 huge exams), I bust out crying. It was terrible. I do the whole "MOM" thing and she comes and tries to comfort me. Finally, I press on. Go to sleep around midnight because I'm exhausted and set the alarm for 5:10.
Friday: I wake up, go downstairs, and get in a good three hours studying for French before the exam at 8:30. At this point let me explain the chronology of my exams: French 8:30 Friday, American Political System 3 PM Friday, Religion 9 AM Saturday, 5-8 page English paper due Saturday by 8 PM. So, one thing after another. Ok, so I go to school and take the French test--the grammar part's not bad, pretty standard, but there are TWO essays. Written entirely in French. So I handwrote like 3 pages of French, in addition to all the grammar. I'm thinking that's pretty awesome!! As soon as I get out of that, at 11, I know I have 4 hours to study for the American Political System, and no time to waste--I still have to outline 3 essay questions. I go to the caf (ew--but they have a Brueggers Bagels place now!!!) and, over lunch, read every vocabulary definition in my Poli Sci book, which takes an hour. This leaves 3 hours for the essay outlining. I sit outside Founders, and it's windy, and stuff keeps blowing away.
Get to the Poli Sci exam. There are two questions that I know I CANNOT have, because I will freeze--I didn't understand the articles. He's giving 2 essays and you can choose one. First essay question I see--one of the ones I can't write! No!! But the second one was one that I could...whew. I finish that exam and experience a momentary feeling of relief, but it's not over yet. Not nearly. I feel impending doom as I realize that I still have to read and review for Religion and write a 5-8 page paper about advertising in the 1920s in the next 24 hours. Last night, I swear, I just went into this zone with studying. I sat, still, and made notecards about Dorothy Day for three straight hours. I can hear the fireworks Friday at the ballpark, and I honestly CANNOT believe that it is Friday. I then took a 10-minute break and went back to it--for another 2.5 hours. I went to bed and set my alarm for 6:30.
TODAY--Saturday-Got up, studied for Religion. Read articles about Progressive Islam and Buddhism. Went to school and STRAIGHT into the exam, and handwrote seven pages in two hours. This exam was noncumulative, but it was still on two books and class notes for the last two weeks--about fifteen pages worth. Afterwards, I feel TOTALLY drained. Just like...twitchy, you know? I get in my car and drive to Subway--eat a sandwich. Get some Starbucks on the way back to school. I then set up in the periodicals section of the library to write my paper. This is a room with huge wooden tables and those green study lamps, with big vaulted ceilings that echo every little noise. You can't get away with slacking in there at all, and that's what I needed. So I sit down around 11:45. Read an article, do some internet research (I'd read about 5 articles earlier this week). Start the paper at 2. Take a break at 3:30 to buy some fruit snacks downstairs, where Eric Lieu is studying (right next to the vending machine). Back to the paper--another break at 5 to talk to Paige for 20 minutes online. I finish the paper around 6 and email it to my mom for corrections. Print it off, and go to give it to Rod. I meet his wife and newborn baby, which was nice, but I still feel like he's probably the first teacher I've felt real tension with--like he doesn't like me. I needed the closure of actually handing him the paper.
I cannot believe that the last two days are over. Forty-eight hours ago, I felt like right now was SO FAR away. These past two days have me thinking about time--the saying "this too shall pass" is so right--but good things always pass, too. I don't know. Anyway, I needed to record that for my own personal knowledge. So I'll never look back and be like, "high school wasn't that hard." Because IT WAS, Future Angela!!
And now I'm done with high school. Oh Lord.