Why I’m Going to Make the Most of Finals Week

“Well, that sounds like the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard, Britta… finals week is basically a royal suck fest and the sooner it is over, the better!”

Yes, some of you may very well be questioning the title of this post. I assure you I have good reason for this; please, please, let me explain…

Last night, I was holed up in the library working on my senior seminar paper. In order to make my homeworking a little more bearable, I turned on some instrumental Christmas music on Spotify. I haven’t been listening to a lot of Christmas music this year, and this was really the first time I turned it on since that one time in October when I got a little ahead of myself. It was in this moment, while listening to Christmas music and working on my senior seminar, that I realized this is my last holiday season in Morris.

I’m well aware that this is senior year and that I don’t have much time left in Morris. However, in my desire to be done with this semester and have a nice, lengthy winter break, I’ve failed to slow down and concentrate on what really matters. The holiday season is so special; this is my last year celebrating here and I want to make the most of it. I’m excited for break, but I also want to make sure I savor these remaining two weeks with my friends in this place that we all identify as a temporary home. Even though I have a lot to do, sometimes it’s the smallest moments that end up being the most meaningful. I intend to make the most out of all the free moments I have during the next two weeks.

This Saturday is the annual Yule Ball dance. Morris students are, quite shamelessly, some of the biggest Potterheads you’ll ever meet. So, naturally, we
have a dance solely devoted to the Harry Potter world. Yule Ball is always such a fun and festive time, a perfect campus tradition to encourage holiday cheer. This is going to be my last Yule Ball and I want to enjoy it as much as possible.

If my impending graduation in May isn’t enough to freak me out, the senior banquet this Friday certainly will. Okay, well, I’m actually looking forward to it because a) free food and b) dressing up and spending time with friends…but the fact of the matter is that it’s the senior banquet, a glaring reminder that I am, in fact, graduating after all. On that note, I guess I should get around to applying for graduation one of these days since I’m surely not planning on sticking around another year! To get back on track from my mini ramble, the senior banquet will be a fantastic way to end the last day of classes and I’m looking forward to spending time with friends and to saying hi to some fellow seniors who I rarely see anymore, like my freshman floor mates.

The Holiday Season is such a special time of year. I want to make sure I make the most of it in the time I have before I head home for break…not just in the big moments like Yule Ball and the senior banquet, but every day; every opportunity I can take with my friends to celebrate the special friendship we all have together. That may have actually been the cheesiest sentence I’ve ever written, but I’m serious! It took me two years to find my best friends here and now that they’re a part of my life, I want us to all enjoy the time we have left together! Despite the fact that I have so much work to do, I also have so much to appreciate about this place and the people who make it even better. This time of year especially is about appreciating the people who matter most and enjoying the beauty of the holidays together.

The friendships I have are so important to me and I will not let finals get in the way of that.