In Warwick, during the end of year exams, you can expect a crammed library full of students you have never seen there before, many a can of diet 7up to be littered about my floor as I miss the bin in my attempt to throw it away, many stressed professors who suddenly forget how to reply to e-mails, any library book you may require to have been checked out by somebody you don't talk to on your course, and first-years displaying that their first years don't count by getting drunk at Top B or Smack every week.

America is different. We have the equivalent of end of year exams at the end of each quarter instead. Yes, it may sound horrible, I don't get to put off the dreadful revision period until June, instead, I have it forced upon me at the end of each quarter, but it really isn't that bad. The exams aren't as nearly as intense as June exams (and too right to, June exams are meant to be examining us on a year's worth of knowledge and is an exam we have had a months study leave to revise for). The marking is more leniant and easier because of such things I think - the teachers know we have lots of finals thrust upon us in our last week and we have no substantial revision time. Meanwhile, many of my finals are actually very long papers which is even better (however, I have been very stupid concerning papers but I will explain that later on, maybe in a different post).

However, here, even though they have finals every quarter, and they aren't examining our entire year's worth of work, and they aren't worth a very high percentage of our grade, and if we do fail, we simply cannot count that class as credit....we are being treated like Gods. No joke. Like Gods.

Free massages at the zone and in Cafe V (well on Sunday in Cafe V) if we would so wish for one. A doggies petting day where nearly two dozen dogs came to visit on campus and play with the students and calm them down. The Sunday before Finals Week all of the dining halls hosted day long breakfast platters and huge free chocolate fountains one could dip fruit and marshmallows in (My friends and I got told of because we had the genius plan of using the plastic cups to scoop chocolate from the chocolate fountain and put fruit in the cups when we were meant to be using pathetically teeny plastic bowls. We just played the foreign student card.

We get emails about free food almost every night. Free muffins, free doughnuts, free hot chocolate. UCSD is doing it's best to make sure it's students are fully fed and ok during finals week. The cafe's open earlier and longer. There are more food options. More spaces made available for people to study and the library is available 24/7.

Meanwhile people are also hired to come around and cheer you up. There is a cookie delivery service whereby you can secretly send good luck cookies to people around campus (kind of reminds me of the secret valentine candy canes my school used to allow us to buy in February and send to the boys school and vice versa - need I say, I got the grand total of NONE). There are men in funny joker outfits covered in tinsel running around and dancing in front of random windows. There are people giving out flowers at 1 in the morning as you walk back from grabbing a quick tea from Goodys. And then, there was the Undie Run.

The Undie Run. A tradition in UCSD which I will firmly never take part in. Last night, at eleven o'clock, UCSD provided a run for its students. The students were to run around in only their underwear and at the end they jump into the water fountain. Yep. It was interesting watching the people run past us on their way to the start line. Some people were dressed very scantily whilst others were dressed in large t-shirts. I couldn't believe how brave some people were - and I totally admired them for it. I will probably never have the guts. My friend, Jesus, tried to convince me to go by saying "hey but you love swimming....you jump in a fountain at the end." Yeah, swimming and a fountain? NOT THE SAME THING. Unless I get very drunk next quarter....no not even then...definitely will not be happening.....