Handel, any day of the year.

Cue Handel's Messiah- the Hallelujah song.  Got it going in your head?  No, it's not an unseasonal celebration of Christmas.  It's the blatant misuse of a song and taking it out of context.  To fit my situation, you can just keep looping the opening segment.

I just took my last regular semester test.  All that stands between me and a glorious summer full of office work, surfing and what better be a job driving the snack/booze cart at a local golf course is my final.  Yeah!!!!!

Now, I just busted out the calculator and did some planning.  Based on my stunning 93% that I just earned on my cardiac test, I have some options and they are all based on how hard I want to work for the next 3 weeks.  Which, if you talk to me in person, seems like not very hard.

Scenario #1- Keep to the course

At the rate I'm going and my record so far, I stand a more than reasonable chance of keeping my A at the semester's end.  It's not hard, I learn a lot, and since most of my friends have written me off as a textbook dork and rarely call it's not like I'm going to miss out on anything.  I can get an 85% on the final and still keep my A.  That's FIFTEEN points I can miss!!!  Hot action!!

Scenario #2- Begin celebrating summer just a little early. 

So let's say I decide to kick back, and enjoy the upcoming intermittent warm days that are so common in Southern California spring (for anyone that doesn't know, spring is my least favorite season- it's dumb).  A mid-B grade means I need to achieve about 300-310 total points this semester.  I can get like a 65-68% on the final and finish the semester with a solid B.  At the rate I study, I would have to try hard to get that crappy of a score but I'm sure it could be done.  It's called "having beers the night before the final."

Scenario#3- Party like it's Summer 2008!

High fives and high kicks!!!  I can absolutely BOMB the final- I can miss 50 out of 100 points and STILL end up with 289 total semester points... which is still enough (by 2 points) to keep me in the B range.  Drinks all around!!!!

Now, more than likely, I'm going to go with Scenario #1.  I'm a Type A student, I'm vain when it comes to grades, and I'm still trying to work off educational karma for my abysmal showing during my Westmont career.  Who got a 1.369GPA her first semester of college?  Yep, that's me.  Plus, last semester I had a prof that I really respect thank me and express her pride for me when I told her that I studied for her final even though it essentially had no bearing on my grade whatsoever.  She told me that she knew I didn't even need to mark an answer and I'd still get an A, but that it shows my integrity and committment to learning- which she says will make me a great RN.  Sigh.  How's THAT for a guilt trip?  

I do all these stupid calculations so that I can release some of the stress and remind myself that when you bust your ass for most of the semester- you can breathe a little easier.  There are some in my class that are going to be struggling to get that C- and it will be the first of their lives.  Whatever.  They should've seen me 10 years ago.  C's get degrees, baby!!!  But here in nursing school, where we're all Type A, wound-tight nursing students that HAD to get straight-A's to get in... it's hard to flip that switch and relax.

So, with that being said- I'll be re-entering society in full force in about 4 weeks.  In the meantime, I'll be dorking out on my computer and wishing my conscience would let me tank the next few weeks and start living life again.  Stupid conscience.

And lastly, for all my jokes about drinks, more than 3 alcoholic beverages/day is a significant risk factor for cardiovascular disease.  Nevermind what it does to your liver.  And waistline.  So, drink responsibly and keep count.  I'm such a buzzkill.