Easter and Exams

Coming back from spring break to be smacked in the face with exams was jarring, to say the least. However, I allowed myself a study-free weekend to recover and celebrate Easter with family. We spent Saturday walking around the milk market, city centre, and campus,

and Easter Sunday in Blarney, with a pit stop for an oversized Easter feast in Cork.

Then, the rents went on their way to Dublin and I hit the books hard. Having not done any “real” studying in, well, 4 months, I wasn’t really sure where to begin. The concept of not having exams or homework all semester, then having exams worth the majority of the module grade at the end of the semester is completely foreign to me (no pun intended). I’m not entirely sure how I did it, but I ended up getting 2 out of my 6 exams out of the way, to enjoy a final dinner with my parents in Limerick before I had to run to a birthday party and they prepped to fly back to the States. Listening to them talk about Ireland was so bizarre, because it made me realize how much of a culture shock it’s going to be for me when I go back to the States. All of the surprising differences they mentioned seeing during their travels all seemed completely ordinary to me, for better or for worse.

I have two more weeks of exams, and I’m finally beginning to figure out the best way to avoid “hitting the wall” while studying. This technique includes getting up early and taking lengthy naps, having lots of skype conversations with friends (shout out to Ionut for allowing me a straight 4.5 hours of conversational stress release), listening to Afro Celt Sound System albums on repeat, occasionally running to the campus Starbucks or to my neighbor’s flat for much needed dancer talk, and watching South Park episodes whenever my eyes stop being able to focus or my writing hand cramps up.  

It's not all fun and games anymore, but I can't imagine it being over.