T'was the Night Before Finals

Submission by Shanna Johnson from Cornell

1  T’was the night before finals, when all through the house

2  no one dared disturb them, not even a spouse

3  Stacks of class notes, highlighted with car

4  old sweatpants going on their sixth day of wear

5  The good kids are already snug in their beds

6  while flow charts and flash cards dance in their heads.

7  Others are cramming their strained thinking caps

8  ...and some jolt awake from unintended naps.

9  Meanwhile you sit there, running short on good humor,

10  berating yourself for not starting sooner.

11  It all seemed more manageable just one week ago

12  Who knew that the going would be quite this slow.

13  If only you didn’t succumb to the need

14  to indulge in facebook, NetFlix, and Buzzfeed!

15  Or all of the goodies you procrastibaked,

16  which in more ways than one were unhealthy mistakes.

17  Sometimes that’s just how you can cope, I suppose

18  when trying to sip from the full-blast firehose.

19  Lament your poor icebergs, whose penguins have gone

20  (though honestly, some just never made it on).

21  This is way too much for one mind to remember

22  and you feel like you burnt out way back in September.

23  But tonight you persist with the mental jujitsu

24  as you question the value of your learning issues.

25  Because you know that you need a solid foundation

26  to make a reality of your aspirations.

27  So bring on the sundry sources of caffeine,

28  and redefine your standards for “clean,”

29  tackle complex concepts in logical groups,

30  and wade through the jargon alphabet soup.

31  Now with your resolve strengthened anew

32  you start planning what’s left for you to get through.

33  When from your kitchen there arose such a clatter,

34  you swear softly and go to see what is the matter.

35  Down the hallway you flew like a flash

36  to determine what was the source of the crash.

37  You flipped on the switch, and the dim glow

38  illuminated the crime scene below.

39  In the midst is your pet, who should feel disgrace

40  But no regret can be found in their smug little face.

41  Some part of you wants to scream off your head...

42  but you sigh and begrudgingly cuddle ‘em instead.

43  Because you know at the end of the day,

44  it’s their antics that keep true insanity at bay.

45  They’re always a welcome source of distraction

46  When you really need non-judgmental interaction.

47  (Seriously though, I know that it’s tough

48  To constantly feel like you aren’t good enough.

49  But there are plenty of us here in the vulnerable zone

50  even when it feels like you’re stuck here alone.)

51  So loosen up little soldier; be at your ease.

52  It’s true what they say: B’s and C’s get degrees.

53  Dress comfy, eat something, other good rules of thumb

54  can prep you for when the dreaded hour has come.

55  When you take a deep breath and enter the room,

56  and try to shake that sense of impending doom.

57  A wave of tension sweeps through your neighbors

58  as they start handing out thick packets of papers.

59  You stretch out your neck and clear out your thoughts

60  as you settle into that perfect test-taking spot.

61  The time has come now to swallow your fright

62  Good luck to all, let’s give ‘em a good fight!