Week in Review: September 17

Coming into this week I was recovering from my first illness that I’ve gotten while in college, which was an exciting adventure to say the least! No one ever tells you how difficult being sick will be when your parents aren’t there to care for you every second and know exactly what to do for every symptom you might have. Consequently, I found myself confined largely to my bed for almost 72 hours, which, given the fact that I am on the top bunk in my room, was a terrifying and surreal experience that I did not enjoy. I didn’t have access to a thermometer, so I had no idea whether I had a high fever or not, but what I do know is that I sweat any and all fluids out of my body during this period, and that food did not sound in any way appetizing to me at the time. Inexperienced as I was (am), my best solution was to take some Advil until my migraine subsided, and continue to do so for the duration of my illness. However, having only come to college armed with a four-pack of Advil, this presented to me the challenge of acquiring said Advil on my own, which meant rallying myself from my bed and going out to the c-store to stockpile it. Needless to say, this was a harrowing experience. After much difficulty and turmoil, I managed to get the medication I needed, and eventually the illness passed and I could function properly again.

Yet even though I was free from this malady, I had no time to rest or enjoy the full range of my physical capabilities once again, as midterms loomed in front of me throughout the week. I needed to immediately bolster myself for the coming onslaught, and subsequently planted myself in the library, committed to studying intensely for my exams. I spent a total of 7 hours poring over notes and textbooks in the 18th Avenue library on Monday, and when I finally left and got back to my dorm, I was physically and mentally exhausted. I quickly showered, brushed my teeth, and climbed in bed, listening to some music before settling down and drifting to sleep. The next day I had my midterm in Musical Cultures of the World, and was relieved to see that I had studied well enough, finding myself thoroughly prepared for the test. Later in the week I faced my math midterm, and though historically I have struggled with math, I think that I performed well on this exam, remaining confident in my abilities in understanding the material. The big ticket test for me this week was my Anthropology midterm, which has by far the most material to cover and complexity to it out of any of my tests. I started studying for it on Monday, and made myself devote an hour and a half a day to study exclusively anthropology, in order to be as prepared as possible. When it was time to take the test, I felt relaxed and confident in my knowledge of the material, and after taking the test, I felt I did pretty well. There were a few questions that, upon review of some notes and materials, I realized I had gotten wrong, but I knew that I had prepared incredibly well for the exam and didn’t shortchange myself, making the majority of the test fly by with relative ease.

After this, my last midterm, I went back to my dorm and simply relaxed, letting the stress and anxiety of the last week melt away, knowing that I could wait an hour or so before starting on the homework I inexplicably had to do that night. Laying there in my dorm, I was at peace with the way in which I approached my midterms, but I knew that there were still improvements that I could make to my process and study habits, chief among these being to not get sick right before midterms and lose three days during which I could be studying. However, that’s just how life goes I guess, and so with that my week came to a close, and I went and had some fun over the weekend, going to a concert and getting some food with friends. All in all, not the most relaxing week I’ve had but definitely not a nightmare. If anything, I sacrificed a few hours of sleep in order to excel on my exams and ensure I would perform well in the classroom, and at the moment, I’m pretty content with that reality. That’s all for this week, I’ll be back next week with an update on how everything’s going; until then, have a great week everybody!

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