Finals

So, I haven't written in a while because:

1) I can't seem to get the motivation - you know, when you keep thinking, "I'll do it later, just one more day." And before you know it you have a huge mountain of things to do which prevents you from even wanting to start, then you wait longer, and it piles up even more . . . you know the vicious cycle.

2) I've been traveling a lot (namely Jordan this past week) and trying to take advantage of every free moment I have to explore!

3) A little thing called FINALS!

I don't know how many of you remember the last finals week you were involved in, but it's always a little stressful. People have their own ways of dealing with the stress and being able to get organized and somehow make it through. I have never, however, been involved in a finals week such as this one. Why is this one so different? Well, it's not necessarily the exams themselves, the teachers, or even the subject matter. Although some of those are most definitely contributing this time. This one is all about the students. Picture the biggest over-achiever/perfectionist/ paranoid, worst-case-scenario-conjure-upper you can think of. Pretty formidable, huh? Good, now take 79 of those and cram them into one small living space for a week. Madness. Last night we finally got a study guide from one of the Old Testament teachers. You should've seen the uproar. There were tears, hair-pulling, and even bartering for study guides. People hoarding over information, attacking teachers, and afraid to share insights for fear of . . . I don't even know! Small tribal study groups are forming and entrance into them requires not only a new contribution of information but I fear some other strange initiation . . . And they're feeding off each other. Normally during finals week students are contained in their own private apartments or study room. You can just picture the insanity. I have to avoid the computer lab and library when possible just to avoid a headache.

What has been my reaction to all of this? Well, you can go one of three ways. Techinally I am graduated so I could blow off all of these classes if I really wanted to. But then you always have to keep the option for graduate school open so I can't really play that game. Also, it's just not me. I have to have some pride. So then two, I can join the madness and drive myself crazy, let alone feel really bad about myself if I don't make it into the "elite" study group . . . I prefer option three, just avoid it all together. Not avoiding studying and preparing myself to the reasonable extent possible, but just not getting sucked into the insanity and student peer pressure of it all. After a student-organized session where a teacher was dragged into a room (out of pure force) and grilled for a half hour, when the after commotion broke out I escaped to the 7th floor to watch the sunset and do cartwheels. Sometimes I wonder, "Am I missing something? Is this really that big of a deal? Am I being too carefree?" I don't really know but either way I'm happy with where I'm at. Moderation in all things, right? Which means that I should probably stop procrastinating by writing this blog post and get laundry and studying done for tomorrow. (But I have no idea what my Islam teacher wants for his test and his study guide and lecture notes are all over the place let alone the fact that I can't even understand him when he talks because of his crazy accent .... AAAAAHHHHHH!) Or there's the other, more simple solution to this whole stress dilemma:
I'll write more when this week is over. Updates with Luxor, Sinai, Jordan and many others. Even including the weekend when my family and friends were visiting! Thanks for your patience . . .