It seems like every college student dreads finals — and for good reason. It’s a time of very few (if any) hours of sleep, a diet consisting of Redbull and coffee and not much time for the ideal social life (i.e. the library feels like your best friend). Temptation and sorrow skyrocket when all of your friends who are not in college — or who are finished with finals — are inviting you to movies and parties and out for ice cream. Yet you’re forced to decline and trudge on through your end-of-the-semester zombie existence.
But this infamous and recurring time period in college students’ academic careers is memorable for a reason, and they talk about it for years after they graduate. And believe it or not, when people talk about their experiences with finals in college, it’s often with laughs and smiles on their faces.
There’s something rather beautiful about going through difficult things with other people — in this case, finals week with other university students. When everyone is going through the same thing, it creates a unity among students and even faculty that people outside campus can’t really relate to. For a few weeks everyone seems to have each other’s backs, no matter what, and there’s a noticeable desire to help others succeed that doesn’t exist at such a high level throughout the school year. Upperclassmen and professors who have been around for some time rescue freshman by providing tips and reassurance, remembering just how anxious and terrified they were for their first set of finals.
I remember how overwhelmed I felt when I experienced finals for the first time, and I am so thankful to have had so much support on campus, between students, professors and advisors to help me through it. And throughout the whole experience, when you’re at the library for days on end, the strangers you encounter can become great friends. There is a commonality between you that creates an instant bond — finals generate a level and type of suffering that very few can relate to.
When all is said and done, finals leave students with one of the most amusingly relatable times a young person can have. I mean, who doesn’t love the pins and tweets that come out of finals week? They’re hilarious beyond measure and only because they’re so relatable. It’s easy to get caught up in the intensity and seriousness of finals, so pins, tweets, memes and Facebook posts are all good ways to get a laugh in as a short study break and ease some pressure while remembering that you’re not the only one going through hellish times.
While finals certainly don’t compare to some other bonding experiences, like, say, military combat, there is still something to be said for going through such a stressful period of time with others. Finals are a staple of college, and without this grueling time period, college wouldn’t be college. Finals create memories that every graduate should walk away with. And they’re memories that only a genuine college experience can produce. So appreciate and enjoy them, Utes!