[Originally published on 6th December 2012]

Descent into madness

Yay, I have 12 days until my exam! That’s plenty of time to go over the notes from lectures and labs over the last semester; in fact, I’ll probably have some spare time left to practice some past papers. I’ll spend today making a revision plan, sorting all my notes and getting a few errands done so I don’t have to bother with them when I’m studying. Feeling so prepared this year!

Day 2

I’m doomed! Why, oh why didn’t I study more during the semester? Did I even write these notes? It looks like a sick squirrel jumped in a bottle of ink and crawled across the page; what is that word supposed to be?? Muscle, mucus, mumps…mermaid?! I’m going with mermaid. Not to mention the lab notes – I have a list of numbers here which could be someone’s blood pressure or a list of favourite radio stations! Also, is that a blood stain?!

Okay, I just need to calm down – it’s not as bad as all that. Yes, there may be 66 lectures and 44 labs to revise, but I still have plenty of time if I use it wisely. I’ll start right now and see how many I can get done today!

Although, looking around this place could do with a good tidy…

Day 4

Right, I’ve rearranged my room five times and have tried sorting all my books in order of size, alphabetically and by colour. Now it’s time to get down to some serious studying! With only 9 days left I need more time; what am I going to do? I promise that if I manage to get through this exam I’ll start studying at the very beginning of the next semester, keeping meticulous notes. Well, desperate times call for desperate measures. An all-nighter! I guess I should check my Facebook now so I won’t be tempted later…ha ha, these crazy kittens crack me up.

01:02 (Day 5)

Sitting in the darkness starts to play with your mind, wondering whether the dawn will ever come. As I sit here looking out the window, the snow is gently falling; carpeting the ground like a layer of volcanic ash. The view is of a post-apocalyptic winter with no soul in sight and not a sound to be heard. It’s been five days since I’ve seen or spoken to another human being; it seems like five years. Unshaven and with hair that now resembles Sweeney Todd, I’ve become some kind of mad hermit who throws cats at the people who dare to knock on his door. I start to wonder whether I’ll ever hear the laughter of children or the warmth of another person’s touch again.

My alarm goes off bringing me back down to earth with a stomach-churning thud, reminding me that I should have completed another lecture by now. I’ve reached that stage where I’m not that sleepy anymore, but my mind has rebelled and refuses to take in any further information. But I must press on! I’ve managed to get through a few lectures so far, not that I can remember any of them. Ticking another lecture off has become more important than actually learning what’s in it. Right, I’d better go make some more coffee, although perhaps at this stage eating raw coffee might be better. It may be the vast amounts of caffeine, but I swear that microscope wearing the stovepipe hat keeps looking at me!!