sometimes, school can be rough. it can make you question your major, or your purpose in life, or maybe even whether or not you should be skipping all of that reading to keep current on american idol.

and sometimes, school can be brutal. you don't question your major, you question your will to live. you even (gasp) forget about reality tv. there is no reality tv for you. you've lost your grip on reality altogether.

this past monday was like that for me. utter, complete disaster.

the day began for me at 6:45 am, a time some of you in the working world would perhaps scoff at, but that those of us in college know only as a legendary period which is never to actually be witnessed. i rolled out of bed and down the stairs, grabbed a piece of french toast from the kitchen, and settled into the pre-study routine i've mastered. i crammed every last bit of information i could and walked to my class.

and the test? postponed until wednesday. apparently there is some benefit to attending your 8:30 am class rather than sleeping through it. like knowing what's going on. and stuff.

after that class, i headed to the library to quickly prepare for yet another quiz in my law, politics, and society class. i finished the book the quiz covered, printed out my one page topic statement for my research paper, and filled out two case sheets after intensive studying of complicated legal jargon online. i walked to class, book in hand, confidence fairly high.

and the quiz? postponed until friday. the teacher had surgery and would not be able to return until then.

as i left that class, i received a voice mail from my friend katie alerting me to a test later that day in our genocide class that i had magically managed to not hear about. the only thing separating me from the test, besides a mere two hours, was a 300 page book and two phone book sized packets i hadn't managed to finish yet. i sat in my car, the ultimate refuge, and plunged into the reading. exactly two hours later, i ran across campus to class.

and the test? postponed until wednesday. katie was misinformed, and i was nearly in tears.

after the third big shock of the day, i packed up my stuff and headed home for some rest, relaxation, mexican food, and parental sympathy. not to mention a big huge dose of hershey's chocolate and good old self pity.

the next day, i trudged to class with a bit of a grudge. call me immature, but i had a bit of a chip on my shoulder after the build-up, let-down, build-up, let-down, build-up, and let-down of the day before.

until i saw the first chalking on the sidewalk.

"I'M SORRY KRISTIN!!"

on my walk to class, i saw no less than 20 apologies written in all the colors of the rainbow across the south oval. all personally addressed to me. and how can you ignore a gesture like that.

college, you are forgiven. also irresponsibility and procrastination. and apathy. and oversleeping. and my sometimes malfunctioning cell phone alarm. i forgive you all.

but don't let it happen again.

(more pictures here and here and here.)