Fall classes drew to a close yesterday, and the final countdown to exams had begun in earnest.  The atmosphere has clearly changed in McCombs.  As of last Tuesday, I had become accustomed to walking into the Reliant Productivity Center (a large 24-hour study room in the business school) between 7:30 and 8:00 a.m. and having the entire place to myself.  No longer.  Today, the place was jammed at the crack of dawn.  It is now 10:00 a.m., I’ve just checked, and there is not a single seat available.  Quite frankly, the loud sighs and frantic page-turning are a bit too intense for me, so I have decided to spend my day in the more civilized math library instead. 

Though there is a full week between now and my first two exams, I doubt there is really enough time to adaquately prepare.  Intermediate accounting alone requires a week of preparation.  I am probably a day or two away from feeling comfortable with my other classes, but, then again, if the second cost accounting midterm exam was any indication, the final will be a marathon.  I will need to make sure that I have fully programmed the class material into my head if  I expect to finish the exam on time.

With so much riding on time management, I have to make sure that I don’t get sidetracked with distractions this week.  Here is what I have to take care of now so that cram week gets off without a hitch.

Buy Food:  I plan to swing by MT Supermarket (best asian market in Austin) for my  final restocking this afternoon.  I’ll need two or three bunches of green vegetables, some fruit, and tofu to get me through the next 7 days.  I’m just about out of food, and if I have to run out to the market a day or two before the exam, I’ll probably start to get frantic.

Laundry:  This, I’m doing tonight.  A full load of laundry should get me through the week.   Once again, I can’t be sweating these small details before the exam.  Oh wait, I don’t have any coins…

Run to the Bank:  I need a roll of quarters for laundry.

Plane Tickets:  Check.  I took care of these a few days ago.  I am all set to fly to Pittsburgh a few days after the exam.  My wife will be moving down to Austin with me in early December (she’s finishing up school in Steel Town a week after my fall semster is done).  I can’t wait to see her, and she can’t wait so say goodbye to snowy 26-degree winter days.

Alcohol:  None until school’s over!