Welcome back to “Wednesdays with Nevaeh”, where I’m here to tell you that another grading period is about to flatline, and my stress levels are hitting an all-time high on the anxiety meter.  

We officially have until November 6th to convince our teachers that we are, in fact, responsible human beings. This is it, folks: the final countdown. I’m pretty sure the only thing keeping my brain from becoming absolute mush is caffeine and the desperate hope that I can get all my late work in before the deadline. It’s called “strategic timing,” not “procrastination,” and it’s a high stakes gamble we all play. 

First off, let’s talk about the academic grind. We’ve just survived an almost full quarter of classes, and the grades are about to be finalized. This is the moment of truth. Let’s be real, a lot of us are living on the high of getting a solid B on that one test we definitely didn’t study for, and we’re clinging to it like a life raft. That one test was a stroke of sheer, unadulterated luck, and it was not at all a testament to our true intelligence.  

The rest of us are probably in full-on damage control mode, emailing teachers with elaborate and completely fake stories about why our assignments are late, and trying to negotiate extra credit. My personal favorite excuse is the classic “My computer crashed and I lost everything,” a tale as old as time itself. Right now, every minute we waste is a point off our grade, so let’s get to it. Maybe. Probably after this coffee. 

Then, there’s the weather. The Seattle drizzle is relentless. It’s not classically “freezing” with snowy days and hot cocoa. No, that would be too exciting. Instead, we get this constant, damp chill that sinks into your bones, makes your hands perpetually cold, and turns every walk to class into a miserable experience. We’re in that weird, annoying phase of the year where it’s too cold to be outside without a jacket, but too early to justify bringing the puffer to school. We all just exist in a perpetual state of gray, which is obviously great for our moods. I’m pretty sure I’m absorbing all my Vitamin D from the fluorescent lights in the hallways. I’ve become one with the gloom myself. 

In my opinion, the perfect way to jump into the long gray season is by watching rom coms. I think a healthy dose of lighthearted fluff is essential to our mental well-being during this time. Or, better yet, it’s Twilight season; watching Twilight in the fall is the image of a cultured Washingtonian. The moody atmosphere, the perpetual gloom, the questionable vampire romance—it just works this time of year. Watching two people fall in love and overcome a ridiculous obstacle is the kind of escapism we all deserve. Plus, it’s a great way to put off the inevitable panic attack that comes with realizing it’s November 6th already and you have three projects due. 

I’ve also noticed a few other things about high school life this season, one of which is that the hallway traffic has gotten significantly worse. Everyone is walking around with their heads down, staring at their phones, and looking like they’ve been awake for 48 hours straight. It’s an absolute travesty. The energy in school is palpable and undeniably off. The library is full of people who are normally never there, and the coffee shop down the street has a line out the door at 7 a.m. because hot drinks are the only mental sustenance we can get. 

So, here’s my survival guide for the next few days before the quarter officially ends: 

1. Rush through all projects and homework, and try to turn everything in before the deadline. 

1. Watch more rom-coms and pretend your homework isn’t due soon. 

1. Stay dry and avoid hypothermia, which is a very real possibility in this weather. 

1. Drink enough water to stay hydrated and drink enough coffee to stay awake. 

1. Find a good podcast to listen to on the way to class, because the silence is deafening.  

Stay warm, stay sane, and let’s hope we can all get our work in on time. We’ve got this. 

Nevaeh out.