March Madness.

And that madness I’m talking about isn’t related to basketball. This “madness” starts at the end of February and pushes on to the last weeks of March. Ultimately what I’m saying is that March at Bates is tough. Don’t get me wrong– Bates does a great job of keeping us entertained. We had ZOX come play last weekend– lots of fun, I heard, and there have been comedians and movies and trips. My friends and I have kept busy too– March is apparently a really popular birthday month. No joke, I have celebrated on the 4th, 11th, 13th, 16th (times two), and now the 18th. There are upcoming birthdays on the 21st and the 26th… You would think that with the amount of birthday cake I’ve eaten not only would I weigh 500 pounds but also that the sugar high would push me through this gray month. But no. Maybe these doldrums are a direct effect of our lack of vacation. I mean, I’m pretty sure this stretch of time is the longest Batesies go without a vacation. Rumor has it the administration is trying to give us a long weekend somewhere in here, but in my past four years, March has always been a question of stamina. Can you pace yourself not to burn out before finals in early April? Can you get enough sleep to be able to stay awake through that early morning lecture (especially if they happen to run out of travel mugs in Commons)? Can you stay focused long enough in the library to make the time you spend there worthwhile? I think my current answer to these questions is no. Hopefully someone has learned better than me. I think what’s really throwing me off is the feeling that all my classes are wrapping up. I feel like the end of the semester is just around the corner, and (thankfully for my thesis progress) it’s not really. We have three weeks or so left until finals, and I’m working on a final presentation, because the last couple weeks of my seminar are going to be group presentations. My roommate just gave her final presentation for her history class. What’s going on here? It’s almost as if the last couple weeks of the semester don’t really count. Until I remember how hard my physics final is going to be… The one high point in March? That would definitely be Gala– the all-college semi-formal with multiple bands playing and a chocolate fountain. That perks me up just thinking about it… maybe now I have enough energy to make the study guide I’ve been putting off….