I'm freeeee! Statistics midterm #2 is OVER. Definitely something to be thankful for. I feel slightly worse about this test than the last one. There were a few questions I just outright did not know whatsoever. I totally missed the ANOVA computation question, because I still do not understand ANOVA completely. I got many of them right, though (hooray for z-scores!), and afterwards, I felt completely exhausted. Farnaz (formerly called Fiona; she said it was okay to use her real name here, so from here on out, she will be called Farnaz [or, as Joe likes to call her, The Farnz ~ "Heyyy..."]), Ronni (that one's a pseudonym) and I discussed a few problems post-exam, and luckily we had matching answers for a couple confusing problems. Then Ronni said, "I want a burger," which sounded like the very best idea ever. Back to the student lounge we went, where I indulged in the pure delight of consuming a cheeseburger, onion rings, and a Coke. I know it doesn't sound healthy, but I felt so wonderful after eating that! Then Farnaz headed home, and Ronni and I went to the library to play online, find some books for her report, and chit-chat before finally wishing each other happy holidays and heading home ourselves. It was a great end to the evening.

As for Stats, I'm not going to worry about my grade. I am, however, going to buckle down and study the things I don't understand, and get all this Stats stuff under my belt before the final. And I am definitely not doing what I did today before the final -- go over stuff in great detail mere hours before the exam. That was a bad idea. The problem was that there were a few things I didn't understand. The solution was NOT to talk about it the day of the exam. I didn't end up figuring anything out in that short time, and instead, succeeded in freaking myself right the fuck out. At one point, I backed my chair away from the table and said, "I need to go for a walk." I had just heard the word, "mean" (as in: average) fifty times in ten seconds, and my brain was about to explode.

"Can't take anymore?" my study partners asked.

"No. I really can't," I said, as I abandoned all my stuff including my cell phone to go grab some fresh air. I pulled on my sweatshirt as I walked out the door into the crisp air, and started walking. My breath was shallow and quick. Then I realized I was on the verge of completely bursting into tears from frustration and anxiety. Once that adrenaline kicks in (from an anxiety attack), the tears are hard to fight. While telling myself, "Keep it together, don't worry about it, just do the best you can," a few tears fell down my cheeks. Then a thought entered my mind which is kind of unusual for me. That thought was, "I want to exercise SO BAD!" Weird, but very cool!

I started walking faster, then decided to jog for a little bit. What the hell, right? I never run, so didn't expect to get very far. To my complete surprise, I ran all the way up a big hill, all the way to the main library! When I got to the top, my breath was fast and deep, rhythmic, and my heart was pounding in a really good way. I knew it wasn't from panic, but from hard work instead. My muscles felt great and wanted even more, so I began jogging down a very long staircase. Partway down, I slowed my pace, then sat on a pillar next to the staircase, and just meditated for a few minutes, breathing as deeply as I could while watching the sun set. The cool air felt good in my lungs, and I felt happy watching the squirrels run around in the grass. When I felt ready, I began heading back to the student union. I tried jogging again, but tired quickly. I guess I ran all the adrenaline out of my system! I walked most of the rest of the way, except when I jogged up the stairs. I headed back to my group of friends and barely looked at stats. When we started walking to class, I felt a bit relieved, because I couldn't stand the thought of trying to cram ANY more stuff into my head. I just wanted to take the test and have it be over, and now, it is. Thank god!

Soon, I'll have to prepare myself for the final. But for now, I'm just going to enjoy my Thanksgiving vacation. You do the same, okay? Happy Turkey Day!