Panic mode has officially set in. Finals are rapidly approaching, and I'm freaking out slightly. In Leuven, the finals are in January, after Christmas break, but it's still too close for comfort. I'm nervous because I know I'm probably not going to study over break. It's the first time I've been home in almost four months. I definitely don't want to spend my time indoors, studying. A few minutes ago, my Media Ethics professor (who's class I'm currently falling asleep in) reminded us about our final paper, which is to be 10 pages about the importance of ethos and the media's influence on this concept. This wouldn't be a problem if I had any clue what ethos was, or if I had paid better attention in class all these weeks, but I didn't, and now I'm panicking. I have the attention span of a flea (clearly, if I'm blogging during class) and I'm suddenly feeling extremely overwhelmed. I have this huge paper to write, plus two more 15 page papers, plus a group project for Anthropology, plus a Dutch final, plus an oral final for Persuasive Communication, and my Travel Reporting blog analysis. I have time, but it's all piling on at once, and I know that I have to get motivated to get things done. I'm the worst with procrastination. I'm that girl who will do absolutely anything to get out of studying or writing a paper, including cleaning the bathroom or watching paint dry.
On a positive note, talking about finals reminds me that I have six more beautiful months in Leuven to look forward to. When I first thought about studying abroad, I was a little apprehensive about being gone for an entire year. That's a long time to be away from home! I talked it over with my adviser, and Loyola Alumni who only had positive things to say. They all mentioned the fact that adjusting to a new country and culture takes time, and the problem with only staying for a semester is that by the time you finally get used to everything, it's time to go home to America. Lucky for us, we get six more months to play around Europe, where we don't have to worry about getting adjusted. Coming back to Leuven in the Spring will feel natural, and, while I'm sure there will be some adjustment issues, it will definitely be a lot easier than it was this semester.
This was just a quick little blog to vent for a moment, and make me feel like, in the midst of absolute chaos and stress, that I accomplished a little something. I'm going to go to my favorite little sandwich place after class, treat myself to my regular sandwich, and watch Pocahantas while writing my blog critiques. I have the rest of the day to myself, and I'm determined to get cracking on my endless to-do list. I might even call my mom today. It's been awhile.
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