Halloween is one of the most momentous events for college students. Planning group costumes, coordinating pregames and posting pictures on social media is a shared experience among Lehigh and college students alike.
The rapid arrival of the second round of midterms loom overhead, before and after the weekend celebrations.
Lehigh students often boast about the “work hard, play hard” culture, where the rigor of our undergraduate disciplines are met with weekends — and even weeknights for some — of parties and bar-hopping, typically ending in a well-deserved trip to El Jefe’s Taqueria or Sizzling Bites.
This week, dressed up as Wonder Woman, I used my Lasso of Truth to understand how Lehigh students tackle academic responsibility against the epitome of social temptation: Halloweekend.
As my costume arrived from Amazon this week I wondered: who are the brains behind the masks, fake blood and fangs? How do we juggle mocos and midterms? Are we really as multi-faceted as we claim to be?
Last week, I spoke to a dressed-up Peacock who had a cognitive neuroscience exam coming up. When asked, she told me she goes out all the time.
In preparation for her exams, she starts early to not ruffle her own feathers, preening her notes from weeks of classes and using AI tools to create practice quizzes. I was left with the impression that for her, exams are a confident and calculated performance.
The Gladiator I spoke to was a mechanical engineering major who said he goes out frequently and had no idea whether he has any exams at all, saying that wasn’t his concern.
As for studying, only one or two days before the exam does he step into the arena, a scientific calculator for a sword and a Celsius as his shield. With a great short-term memory, this brawl is a sprint he hopes will lead to victory, or at least survival.
Lastly, I spoke to a Vampire who has an engineering probability and statistics exam on Nov. 5. To prepare, she must be completely alone in her crypt, and sink her teeth into the material. She teaches it to herself before taking practice exams to see where she needs to study more. After dark, she claims to stake out on the town about twice a week with the rest of her coven.
This Halloween, I was dealt an unfortunate hand.
I had an astronomy and an audit midterm on Wednesday, and a federal income taxation midterm coming up on Monday. My professor has since pushed it back, a decision I’m incredibly grateful for.
To prepare for my exams, I start early, but keep the sessions brief to build momentum. About two days leading up to the exam, I lock myself in Linderman, suit-up with my AirPods and blue light glasses and face as many practice problems as I can in one sitting.
I tend to go out multiple times a week, trading the warm lighting of the library for the bright or flashing lights of Bethlehem’s various establishments. However, some weeks I seek refuge in Themyscira and watch Gilmore Girls on my couch with my cat and a hot bowl of pho.
Talking with these students, I saw similarities and clear differences in how Lehigh students handle the conflicting demands of the college experience.
From the Peacock, I took away that I should give myself as much time as I can so course material never feels overwhelming.
From the Gladiator, I learned it’s okay to not obsess over deadlines and to let pressure motivate me towards my best performance.
The Vampire made me feel validated, because like me, she needs to be completely alone to focus.
On Nov. 1, the fake blood gets scrubbed off with micellar water, and the costumes go back into the bin under our beds. What remains is the same student who sat in the library a few days prior.
These personas and the students underneath aren’t separate people. The versions of us who lock in for hours and the versions of us on a night out with our friends are both true portrayals of ourselves.
The “work hard, play hard” ideology holds up when we make room for both identities.
Happy Halloween,
Wonder Woman.
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