Salvete!
Well, I’ve had a rough couple of days. When I went home for
Thanksgiving break, my entire family was very sick with some form of the flu. I
thought I had gotten away clean, but that was evidently not the case. Monday
night, as I was writing my final Philosophy paper (woo!), I felt very cold and
thought it was just because the study room in Mulledy’s basement was a bit
chilly. However, my chills got progressively worse until I ended up with a 102
degree fever and was seriously out of commission for a few days. I missed my
last day of classes, which I was sad about, but the good news is that I didn’t
have to miss any more classes because right now is the finals study period.
It’s a very useful three days before finals begin in which we can get ourselves
together and start studying before finals actually start. Mine do not start
until Monday, which is a real blessing, for I have to work at Kimball a ton
this weekend. All workers have to work three shifts during finals week, which
is a bit hard to juggle with studying, but I’ll get my studying done in between
shifts.
I only have two actual finals, Greek and Montserrat — both for
Professor Joseph. They’re on consecutive days at the same time, 2:30 in the
afternoon, which is kind of funny. I’m glad I’ll get to sleep in a little
before them, and do some last-minute review. I have a ton to memorize for my
2-hour Greek exam, so I think I’m going to get started on that tonight.
Montserrat will be a ton of writing, but that’s alright, because the class has
been graded based on writing throughout the semester, anyway. My assessment in
Latin is interesting. Instead of a final, we’re reviewing our papers and the
papers of those in our class for part of the session, and then for an hour
we’re doing a translation of a part of an ode we’ve never seen before (with a
dictionary, of course!). It should be a fun challenge.
Unfortunately, I missed the Christmas tree lighting ceremony
on O’Kane porch because I was practically delirious from my fever. However, I
still got my share of holiday cheer yesterday, because my hall went all-out for
the hall decorating contest. There are lights everywhere, a painted fireplace,
Dear Santa letters (one of which I composed myself, wishing, as always, to be
in Rome), stockings, and snowflakes. My friends and I all did a Secret Santa
gift exchange today, and baked holiday cookies (well, Amy baked holiday
cookies). So despite the stress of looming finals, there is always the promise
of home and Christmas to brighten the mood!
I suppose I’ll start to study Greek now—I have a horrendous
amount of verb principle parts to re-memorize! Valete omnes!