I have 56 minutes left to write and submit this article.
In hindsight, I probably should have written this a lot earlier. Viewpoint is nothing at all like writing for News, where we are told to limit our use of adjectives. I love the little box I’m put in when I write news articles; I know the approximate word count I should aim for, I love knowing the topic at hand before I write it and I know I should attribute every piece of information to a source.
I miss that little box right now.
As the minutes continue to slip by, I become increasingly more aware of my deadline, which has led me to the conclusion that a simplified description of college is just a constant bombardment of deadlines.
When I hear 6 p.m. or 8 a.m., my pulse automatically increases as I try to remember if I have an article due and if I completed my online Spanish homework. 11:59 p.m. on a Thursday night suddenly isn’t just some generic time but rather the last window of opportunity to submit my macroeconomics homework.
I hate running, but this sure feels a lot like it. Except, you know, I am not receiving any physical benefit and am probably doing the exact opposite as the pressure of deadlines convinces me to reach for my bag of Hot Cheetos. So that’s good.
With only a little over three weeks of the school year remaining, I am left wondering if somehow I missed a month or two. Just like I do with my random cravings for Cherry Garcia ice cream at 2 in the morning, I place the blame on deadlines.
Time seems to move so much faster when you’re scared of it. This school year has consisted of nervous anticipation of the next deadline and attempting to outrace it. Whether that race results in victory or defeat, one has only a short time to recover before the next sprint.
Don’t get me wrong — I am by no means condemning deadlines. If one manages her time correctly, they can even serve as a form of motivation. However, living exclusively by deadlines and running full force with the mentality that it will all be over soon can leave one finally looking up at the end of her race wondering what she even did to get there.
I have two minutes left to submit this piece. I think I’ll put these Thin Mints away now.
