As we enter December, we find ourselves once again in the midst of finals week and all the grind and anxiety it brings. It’s the most stressful time of year, a time when we have hundreds of papers due and even more hours of studying ahead. Yet, at least for me, the most logical task to undertake is the contemplation of many an abstract and unknown mystery—also known as daydreaming. Time and time again we find ourselves between a rock and hard place with looming deadlines and exams; yet who can we blame but ourselves?

This time of year is the easiest to get down on ourselves. Whether it’s the looming deadlines or holiday stresses, tapping into our inner martyr isn’t difficult, pun fully intended.

I once knew a guy who would always leave his work until the very last minute because he so enjoyed the adrenaline rush of pushing himself to finish a five-page paper in an hour, or study for a final only a handful of hours before the deed. He said this scramble made his homework exciting—more than just a test of knowledge, it became a test of endurance. I said he was mind-numbingly stupid.

Others go about their self-destruction in a less healthy manner, sweeping their work under the metaphorical carpet only to find themselves in the shits when the last day of classes comes to call.

More often than not I find myself and my comrades in the latter position. We give ourselves nothing but unrelenting stress and misery, but we have no one to blame but ourselves. Are we masochists?

We smoke despite warnings from the Surgeon General; we drink though it damages our liver and brain cells. We spend hours staring out our computer screens or on our cell phones despite mounting warnings that these electronics are supposedly carcinogenic. We sit down with our friends and watch sappy love movies that only lead to unnaturally high expectations about “real life” relationships. So are we our own worst enemies?

As someone who at times recognizes her own poor behavior, I know I have no one to blame but myself for many of the problems that arise in my life. But then again, isn’t that how it should be? Only you can be held accountable for the things you cause to transpire. Only you can affect you. It’s time to acknowledge our own faults.

Most of my frustration this time of year comes from the undying whining coming from every corner of campus. Should I really need to give a shit that seven people on my stalker feed pulled all-nighters last night? Or that so-and-so has a ten-page paper due tomorrow and hasn’t even cracked a book yet? No!

Maybe it’s because I don’t hail from a sympathetic frame of mind, but I don’t find it necessary to search for compassion from my fellow students during finals time. I was once told that it is no one’s place to attempt to negate the problems of others. “Pish-posh,” I say. Whining in general is annoying, but my blood gets especially boiled when this complaining comes from groundless sources.

Grumbling about your inordinate amount of work is waste of time; I have acquired this knowledge over many years of  hard-learned lessons. In these final weeks of school, time is of the essence. Sympathy won’t help you go back a couple of weeks and attempt to read that book you blew off, or spend more time studying for your upcoming exams. The only type of whine that will get you through this week is the whine without the “h.”

So relax, take a deep breath, sip if you feel so inclined, and reboot. Dead ends arise, and though the bi-co provides deep educational foundations, at the end of the day we’re all learning to think on our toes. So be agile and limber and ready for disaster at all times. With a thermos of coffee, a study mix, and possibly a war helmet, you’ll be ready for battle in no time.

Hood, a senior political science major and with an economics and French double minor, can be reached at ejhood@bmc.

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