I feel a huge inclination to gloat at this point because gone are the days when I sat exams. That stress, that nervousness I felt preparing for exams in courses I knew I didn’t enjoy turned out to be the harbinger of many sleepless nights. But now those days are long gone, I somehow miss them. When I'm at home, I witness my housemates rushing to the kitchen, looking with helpless eyes into the refrigerator, realizing that the loaf of bread they bought the previous day is no longer there. And then the sudden sign of relief! “Ah geez, the bread’s still in my room!” That used to be me. I miss those brief moments of happiness, when I finally got to rejoice about something. Amid all that absentmindedness and the pressure, the assurance that my food was waiting for me in my room filled me with joy.

I believe that an empty tummy is a student’s worst enemy. It makes you forget things. It thwarts your ability to think and comprehend. Well that and lack of sleep. So if you are a disorganized student like I was, I have a word of advice. I must tell you that despite my sheer lack of organizational skills, I have never taken an exam on an empty stomach nor have I slept less than seven hours on a night prior to one. I know this does not sound very promising, but hey, give me some credit. I graduated. Not, of course, with the best grades, but I did. And I am happy about that. Grades, at the end of the day are just numbers. Ten years down the line, my score in a particular exam won't matter.

What does matter is how much I learned. That number on my grade sheet won’t be as significant as the things I have committed to memory, the professor's explanations that I sat and listened to so intently in the classroom. A single concept properly understood could mean a lot. For me, it never mattered whether I passed or failed, or scored a 9 or a 5.5. It was always about what I learned and how would I be using it later on in my life.

On that note, I would like to suggest that you check whether or not you need to buy some bread. Most Albert Heijn stores are open till 22.00 hours. You may still have time.