Stage 1: IDGAF
This stage occurs as you finish your last exam. Strolling out of the exam hall with a mighty weight suddenly lifted from your shoulders, you couldn’t care less about the results; you’re just glad this semester is over. Your priority now is to find out where everyone’s going for drinks tonight. What comes before Part - A? I don't remember, I'm already hammered.
Stage 2: Analysis
You become progressively less chilled out as the days go by, starting to think back and scrutinize every detail of your exams. Panicked questions are often heard during this stage, such as, “What percentage of that exam did we actually need to pass the class?” “What did you answer for that question?” and “But seriously, how many credits do I need to get to next year?” Avoid these questions from your friends at all costs; they’ll just make you that much more anxious.
Stage 3: Suppression
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At this stage, you throw yourself into any activity in an attempt to take your mind off your results. We all have our own methods of drowning out our nerves: Most of us tend to use alcohol and/or Netflix as a prime distraction. Works every time.
Stage 4: Contingency planning
As your exam results begin to creep nearer, you are forced to face the possibility of failure and what you'll do in that situation. You plan what you’ll say to your parents if you fail, and you skip a few nights out to save money for repeats. (Only a few, though - you can’t be expected to give up on your social life completely. Plus, you REALLY need the distraction.) Maybe you don't really need to finish college? A degree is totally overrated.
Stage 5: Acceptance
This stage comes right before the exam results are released. You realise that there is absolutely nothing more that you can do now, and that worrying about it won’t help anything. You also reflect on the hard work you actually did this semester, and you start to see the light at the end of the tunnel - maybe it won’t be so bad. Maybe you miraculously pulled a C out of your ass. Maybe your rambling prowess actually got you through it!
