Dragging Days

*Collective Sigh* It's that time of year again where all fun seems to disappear under a never ending to do list of homework and revision. It's highly fitting that I'm writing this while the sky is throwing down all manner of rain, sleet and snow; a miserable and confused pathetic fallacy for most student's feelings right now (just pass the vodka now). It always amazes me that in this position the days and weeks seem to both drag on for centuries and quickly slip away all at once as imminent exams creep ever closer under the cruel grasp of time.

Surprisingly neat desk and half-finished sociology essay

Sadly, this all boils down to an overwhelming pressure to do well in exams. Whether it's pressure from teachers, parents, yourself, peers, the government, there's a constant push to "achieve the very best" which drains so many of us as stress builds up (so anyone who utters the "E" word is promptly shunned away.) Yet, at the end of the day, does the grade on the piece of paper really define you as an individual? Yes it is a sign of a huge amount of work and dedication to the subject and you should be incredibly proud of yourself for A) doing well and B) actually getting through it! But does a letter on a piece of paper really sum a person up? I think it's incredibly important that in these dragging days we remind ourselves that exams and grades are not the be all and end all in human existence, there are countless other things that are equally important such as a healthy body and mind, relationships with friends and family and those hobbies or interests that keep us sane; by keeping these intact we can put ourselves in the best mindset and foundation to strive to obtain the grades we want. Yes it's a lot of hard work. Yes you'll have to forgo some social activities. Yes you'll probably want to gouge your eyes out at some point due to the immense pile of work you have to get through; but don't let go of the reason for all the work. The grade you achieve is for you and you alone so don't let yourself sink under pressure from other people, put the work in and come results day you can be proud of the outcome regardless of anybody else's opinion.    
(This ended up far more positive than I had intended, what a happy accident.) 

So, to sum up my rambled thought process, don't let external pressures build up to be detrimental to yourself, use this time effectively and no matter what you can be proud of whatever you achieve; and hey, the hazy days of summer aren't that far away. 

Good luck to everyone sitting exams in the weeks to come, you'll smash it. 

Laura