I exited to an awaiting pinkish-orange sky, like melted sherbert ice cream, accompanied by a cool, relaxing air and no wind at all (rare on this campus). Strolling through the parking lot, I glance over at my truck and instantly smile. I thought of how a camera would’ve been nice to not only capture the moment, but contain the feeling of finishing that exam and shaking Professor Vernon’s hand on the way out.
“I’m working on the seacoast this summer, interning for a web design company,” I whispered back after he asked what my summer plans were. How many kids can say that? Everyone else I saw leaving before me got the, “have a nice summer” line and a wave. I turned for the door, said thanks for a great semester and there it was: the salute from Vernon.
Sure beats a wave.
I just cranked out another final, studied for a total of 30 minutes beforehand, and know I did pretty well. Subjects like science involve a lot of memorization and regurgitation of countless facts and descriptions. For me, I take a quick look at my notes prior to class so I can picture each page and do a memory dump on the back of my exam before I even read the first question. Works like a charm.
That’s not what I’m getting at here though. On the silent walk back, as most kids have already gone home, I thought of this past week and how hectic things got at times. A few of my friends cracked under pressure and were a mess for 7 days straight, probably worrying more than studying. Before I knew it, I too was losing temper, stressing, feeling physically tired, all because of a few exams that I would have to face no matter what. That’s crap, no other way to put it.
I’ve been down this road before; there were finals last year and will be again next year. I find that the easiest way to travel is by leaving the extra baggage of stress behind. Life’s too short. There are too many things to learn; I’m not letting a little fear get in my way.
Just talked to mom and dad; going home for Mother’s Day, focusing on what’s really important in life.