Busy busy (Silvia)

There’s a week until my exams and I’ve finally started hardcore studying. By hardcore, I mean going to the library to borrow the textbooks and look through them for the first time. I know, textbooks are a resource I should have had the entire semester but they’re so expensive (and I only use them for one semester, which is twelve weeks) and I suck at remembering to return library books. To librarians, I’m a walking fine so to avoid my wallet balance diving into the negatives, I just don’t borrow books when I don’t have to.

As I study, I get twinges in my stomach that tell me I feel I’ve left studying too late. The thing is, I feel that way every time and I don’t have the ability to differentiate between nerves, fear and anticipation. It’s probably a mixture of all three and, let’s face it, I have left studying a tad later than usual but I think if I stick to my plan then everything will turn out okay. I’ve listened to stories of friends spending their SWOTVAC period cooped up in one of the many libraries at uni from 9am till 7pm and ripping through practice exam papers and tutorial questions.

Wow.

I could never be that dedicated. Actually, no, that’s not true. I could but I choose not to because I like my little pleasures such as being distracted by the TV, my dog, Facebook, writing nonsense and drawing nonsense. Yes, I am a productive person.

Oh, who am I kidding? I did a practice exam today that was supposed to take 2 hours. It’s been 5 hours and I still haven’t finished the freaking thing. Partly because I gave up going through lecture notes and just winged the exam open book, then snacking and reading then attacking the exam again. There are parts I truly do not know how to answer because I missed lectures and it seems my notes don’t correspond to the lecture podcasts either. Very bad situation. However, I have the textbook and wow, let me say it’s one of the best textbooks I have ever read. If I had the money, I would buy it and read it for fun. No, I am not joking. Ecology is a cool subject.

On another note, it’s difficult balancing study with volunteering and hobbies. I’m doing NaNoWriMo this year, which is short for National Novel Writing Month. People shut themselves up in their rooms during November to hammer out 50,000 words, which is roughly novel length. It’s only been three days and I’ve got 14,000 words so far, so I’m off to a good start!

I must keep repeating to myself: Balance is important.

I can’t study too hard (more like I won’t) and I can’t hobby too hard either. In cases like this, a timetable would be useful. But the only timetables I have ever stuck to are school ones. I can’t follow ones I make up for shizz. So I’m going to take the end of second year as it comes and hope it turns out okay.

By the way, I don’t know if anyone remembers the Tess Gerritsen books I wrote about last semester, but IT HAPPENED AGAIN. I was at a store yesterday and THEY HAD A TESS GERRITSEN BOXED SET which I totally had to buy and finish in one day. The universe is telling me not to study!

But I will be a good girl and do well in my exams. Count on it! Or, count on two of them… I’m not so sure about the third :/