We are in the home stretch. It’s the last inning, the bases are loaded and the score is tied. We are all up at bat. It’s almost over.

It’s almost totally over for a few of us. I am one of those few. I will be graduating this semester.

But, like the rest of you, I too must suffer through Dead Week. Some of you are doing this for the first time and you might not understand what I am talking about. Don’t worry.

You will understand in just a few short years.

Ah, Dead Week. Where nothing is dead but the students’ social lives and brains. There are a few schools that don’t even have classes the last few days (or the last week) before finals. Wouldn’t that be nice?

It’s not like I have to worry about getting a job after graduation — I managed to get one. I am still trying to find a place so I won’t be sleeping in homeless shelters and alleys because I have to be out of my apartment the day after graduation. So, I’ve got that on my plate too.

Some students are working this week as well, and I salute you. The basketball teams have games, the swim team has a meet, the wrestling squad has a match and other sports have practice — I salute you, too.

I’m not sure about every professor on campus, but my professors have been great. (And I am not just saying that because I need good grades in those classes.) They have outlined when papers/projects are due and given me plenty of time to complete them.

If you are one of those people who complete papers and projects over Thanksgiving break, you are worthy of a salute as well.

I, on the other hand, am a massive procrastinator. I’ve been meaning to do something about it — but I’ll do it tomorrow. So by my own fault, I am left with little or no time to sleep this week. My roommates are going through the same thing. One of them actually pulled an all-nighter Sunday night, so her week is starting off really well.

To the students who are experiencing Dead Week for the first time, you might find that there are fewer people in your classes than normal.

This is to be expected. Everyone isn’t sick and there isn’t another Real World casting call. Many upper-class students are taking gen-ed classes to fulfill requirements and choose not to attend these classes so that they can be working on a project or sleep. You might think this is crazy because a final in that class is only a week away. You’ll understand soon.

You may also see a lot of people walking around like zombies. No one is filming “Night of the Living Dead.” We will be the living dead.

I am certain that there will be mismatched clothes, a lot of pajamas worn and bad hairdos.

Again, you’ll understand in a few years.

My advice is vitamins and lots of them. I’m not encouraging a vitamin overdose. Be sensible. Just take a once-daily vitamin so that you won’t get sick. And if you are a student who is sick, be considerate of others.

In other words, take tissues to class, cover your mouth when you cough and try not to touch every railing you can. The last thing we need this week is a mono outbreak.

As difficult as it may be, try to get some sleep. If this means that you must be writing a paper rather instead of watching “The Osbournes” this week, then so be it. MTV will re-run the show later, and if you miss that, I’m sure they will come out with a box DVD set.

You will be able to afford that once you get a nice job because of the good grades you earned in college — all because you skipped the show and decided to write a paper. (OK, so maybe that’s a little far-fetched.)

It is ironic that network TV just aired “Dead Man on Campus,” but pushing someone over the edge isn’t funny. Asking Santa for good grades isn’t an option either. As much as you may believe in the jolly, old fat man, he just doesn’t work that way.

The bases are loaded, the score is tied, its the last inning and there is a full count. I hope all of you hit a homerun rather than striking out or letting the ball hit you.

Sarah Bolton

is a senior in English

from Glidden.