A time for stress…

Captain’s My Log, Star Date 15/10/2007…

Tomorrow (or by the time you read this it will be today) marks the D-Day of my first exam for the second semester of 2007. Yikes! Well, I have studied - but I don’t feel ready. I feel nowhere near ready in fact (I never do, sometimes I really am not).

I have decided to try and have an all-night (and all morning) study and review session. I have coffee and red bull energy drinks and even some suspect herbal teas and supplements - and I’m not afraid to use it.

This post will be the log of the proceedings as I go along, and I will be updating it in between chapters, or every hour or whatever feels right. I might fall asleep at my desk in which case this will be the last thing I think of before going to write bloody Public International Law (again) tomorrow at 14:00.

19:00 (19 hours to exam)

I’ve just had supper with the family (spagetti bolognaise - yummm!). I have been worried that they would be here making a racket until about midnight as they always do but every single one of them has just vacated the house in the last 5 minutes. Quiet…bliss…going to get some coffee and kick off serious all-night reviewing at once.

20:00 (18 hours to exam)

I decided to start off by going through the Tutorial Letters. As an after thought I decided to take a few minutes and check UNISA’s site to see if I actually got them all.

I am missing two…damn…no problem I can download them or just print them off the site. Oh wait, it’s down - no joy. F_ck it, I’ll try again later - or just work with what I have. You know, not that I want to sit here bitching about service all night or anything but this sort of crap NEVER used to happen before the government made them merge with Vista a couple of years ago - no I’m not even sure if the people who answer the phone at the university can actually read. *sigh* Whatever…back to my books.

21:00 (17 hours to exam)

Still going strong. I had a lovely and welcome distraction in the form of a quick chat with Prr, and then back to the books. I just realised that I have lost all feeling in my ass and my mouth feels as if something small died in it. I’m going to grab some more coffee and stretch a bit before the next session. Maybe just a few minutes of yoga to get some blood back into my head or something.

22:00 (16 hours to exam)

Oh noooo! Losing momentum fast. This stuff is so boring… I almost never go to bed before 01:00 and I can hardly keep my eyes open. Going to set alarm for a 10 minute snooze while lying on the floor to better my chances of actually getting up again. Hopefully I will grow some Red Bull wings when I wake up.

23:00 (15 hours to exam)

I’m up again. I see no wings sprouting. The Red Bull has given me a little boost but not much. *yawn* Reading lots of stuff that tells me this is a waste of time. It’s not looking good kids…family has returned from wherever they went and are now happily (and noisily) settled in front of TV. I’m so tired - not sure if I’m cut out for this all night studying BS.

00:00 (14 hours to exam)

I took a few minutes to check e-mail and was pretty surprised my an e-mail my dad sent to say that we have used 78% of our monthly cap already. This time I KNOW I am innocent - I have hardly downloaded anything! I wonder if someone else is also using our data? Mmmm…there was one day that my brother worked from home but I can’t believe that it could have taken that much because it was all spreadsheets and stuff.

Family are still making a noise up front, I wonder what time they’re all going to turn in for the night…

Still disliking this subject passionately. *sigh* I had an awesome 20 minute nap and I am reading without nodding off at least. Who knew?! It turns out that I can power nap after all.

01:00 (13 hours to exam)

Screw this - I’m going to bed.

06:00 (8 hours to exam)

Awake…need coffee…intravenously if possible.

07:00 (7 hours to exam)

Decorate impressive amount of notes with colourful stickers to make the work seem a little bit more interesting. I’m getting tired again - I think it’s the subject. Urgh! Must…stay…awake…*tries slapping own face to wake up*

08:00 (6 hours to exam)

Had a nice warm bath. Feeling clean, almost relaxed and awake. Also had breakfast (fruit salad and carrot muffin) and some energy boosting herbal tea. Back to the books. I feel the stress leaving me now. Could be that I am either just calming down, or perhaps that I have made peace with imminent failure?

I hear odd noises outside, but I really don’t have time to investigate. I’ll just keep my hockey stick close-by for in case whatever it is decides to come in. Also it could just be the dogs fooling around because I hear Diablo howling every now and then. Oh wait, it’s Wednesday! That means our gardener is next door today so that’s probably what’s gotten the dogs so excited.

Okay really…back to books now.

09:00 (5 hours to exam)

The new skimmer on our pool is making sounds similar to that of someone slurrrrrping a milkshake through a straw. Urgh! What could it possibly be “skimming” that loudly? Listening to the new CD that my cousin gave me for my birthday on Saturday (birthday was in August - we really do live past each other the whole time). I’m hoping this will drown out the skimmer sounds.

More reading…more red bull. Getting distracted by almost everything in my room. *mental slap* Focus! Focus! Focus!

10:00 (4 hours to exam)

If I pass this there will be a cleansing ritual by fire. I detest this subject and anyone who ever had a hand in writing this *&^&%$#^ textbook and #$%^* study guide. YOU SUCK!!! What a load of sh_it.

Our assistant (a.k.a. maid) has just arrived and appears to have her jaw wrapped up in a sling. Toothache… I see the distinct possibility of extended sick leave looming. I hope she feels better before I have to start ironing my own stuff again.

Back to these stupid books…

11:00 (3 hours to exam)

This is so Boooooooooring! AAAAAAAAHHHH!!! More Red Bull. Wings at last. No if only I could use them to fly away instead of staying awake for this dreadful exam.

I’m not feeling so good…how many of these can you have in a day anyway?

12:00 (2 hours to exam)

Well, ready or not (and if you had any doubt - I’m NOT) - here I come. I like to get there early so that I get shade parking and don’t have to worry about traffic lights being out of order or accidents along the way making me miss the bloody exam.

I haven’t even seen the exam yet and I can already tell you that this won’t end well. *sigh* Oooh, I must remember to take my ID and student card…and a pen of course. No use going if I don’t take a pen.

See you on the other side…wish me luck. I really need it.

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