How to Survive Finals: Manda Style

1. Find your study space.
I found the most amazing hidden table in the library. It's back in the stacks, and my many people walk by it. It's just me and my study materials, so I have no reason not to be productive. I just have to get there early enough to claim it from people who want to displace me.
I've also coveted my walls with summary charts, so my apartment has become more helpful as well.

2. Build a study schedule.
I have the material for each class divided up and scheduled so I review it twice in a week. Add practice tests and multiple choice questions, and there's my whole day.

3. Find a good study partner.
C and I have been studying together. When I'm confused, she gets it, or we can figure it out together. There's someone to keep you accountable.
In the flip side, we prevent each other from studying too hard. Like today. We got out of an exam review, so we had obviously been thinking really hard, so it was time for some Costco hot dogs. Which were magical and made life much happier.

4. Find a good caffeinated drink.
Finals means long days and nights with not a whole lot of sleep. I found an iced coffee recipe that had been life-changing for the two days I've used it.

5. Watch where you're walking.
You don't want to, you know, miss the last couple stairs in your apartment and sprain your ankle. Like I may or may not have done on Monday. It wasn't bad, and I'm thankfully not seriously injured or suffering from a broken ankle. It's just enough to be an inconvenience: no working out for three weeks, I have to go down stairs sideways and one. at. a. time.

6. Find the spider that just crawled across the window sill.
If you don't do it, you won't be able to sleep. I'm currently suffering from this dilemma, trying to weight pros of sleeping in the middle of the bed with a demon bug on the loose against the cons of trying to move my mattress and box spring off it's frame with a sprained ankle. Obviously, this analysis is going well.

Sweet April

Hallo! Wie geht's?

The past two weeks have been a blasty pants up in this place.

We got this spell of awesomely warm weather, so that meant studying outside. 

Say hello to my tree friend.

I convinced E to do the Running of the Elk with me. I ran a personal best, cutting almost five minutes off of my time! I was pretty proud of myself, even though I got beat by an 8-year-old little girl.
They also gave us pancakes, and super awesome medals.

Pancakes!

We did it!

Sweet medals.

E eating Susie the Pancake.

I resorted to one of my oldest culinary signature dishes: cereal in a cup. 

I know, you're jealous of my prowess.

Our student government hosted a barbecue out on the quad. With the awesome weather, free food, and some snow cones, it made for a really awesome lunch period. 

My pretty new snow cone v. C's almost gone snow cone.

Friday, a bunch of us went to Happy Hour, then to a rugby gathering. Happy Hour was awesome. It's so different to go places where there are groups of non-law school people. I missed Country Thunder this year, but hanging out with some rugby alumni made up for it. A little bit.

Sunday, I volunteered at a campus family day. My club was in charge of face painting, temporary tattoos, and arts and crafts. More free food, more snow cones. With the addition of a slight sunburn. And this sweet tatt.

So hardcore.

We had kids that kept running back to us to get more body art. Some of them had now more space on their arms and faces by the time the day was over.

Now, I've been chilling in the library, outlining and trying to prep for finals. Wish me luck!

I leave you with my current studying jam.

Tschüß!!