An Ode to Finals Season

Tis’ the season, finals season. Inside Swemromas, awaiting my vanilla chai tea latte, I overheard a party of two catching up. One shared how she was studying on the third floor to which her friend gasped. I wasn’t as appalled though. Despite not knowing either party, I know that the third floor is reserved for TWAMPs (Typical William And Mary Person) to pretend to get work done. I still don’t understand why their friend was so shook? After all, it was ~that time~ of the year.

It’s difficult to find serenity during finals season. It feels as though every nook of campus is filled with a student in tears, every line to get coffee is longer than imaginable, and people are only smiling as a coping mechanism. One might think that the entire student body is in a state of despair, and a counterargument to that assumption is hard to come by. A Facebook group entitled “W&M Places I’ve Cried” only supports that misconception. The group created in March 2018 is intended for W&M students to share the lowlights of their day where they found themselves teary-eyed in countless situations. It’s comforting to know others around campus are feeling subpar, but upon reflection the group is more depressing than anything.

That’s why I strongly prefer the spin-off of that group created this month entitled “William and Mary Good Vibes” where students post things that make them feel happy and serve as a counter-page for all the W&M Sadboi pages. Members recognize having a safe space like “W&M Places I’ve Cried” to share ones deepest feelings is representative of a supportive community, and it’s nice to have a positive place to share daily highlights, like on “William and Mary Good Vibes.” I’d say finals season is the best time of the year to remind your friends how much they mean to you. While it isn’t easy to schedule lunch dates, or other outings, a simple text does suffice when TWAMP’s are feeling particularly overwhelmed by things like exams, oh, and the new Griffin statue — but I digress.

All in all, finals season marks the end of an era. I am more than halfway through my educational career and I couldn’t be more thrilled. I often find myself wishing I could just work full time, decorate an apartment I could call my own, and supply it with all the specialty items from Trader Joe’s… but for now, I have to seek joy from being a full time student. Recognizing this, I’m now trying to consciously live each day to its fullest, and not be so stressed about what comes next. Looking forward to working on this new mentality to achieve happiness and start the new year off on a good foot. All I have to do now is get through finals season.