For some reason, I believed I could sail through college and the classes that came with it. I thought I could never study and still get great grades. I thought college would be just like high school. Well, I was in for a rude awakening when my first rounds hit last year, especially in my honors humanities class.

I know, I know. Honors plus humanities is not a fun combination, and I should have known what I was getting myself into. So, when the midterm was near, my teacher gave us tips about the exam, and he said some questions would be very, very specific. That’s when I realized just how much I needed to study and possibly re-read portions of some books.

I knew the night before the exam would be long, so I went into the library with the expectation that I wouldn’t be home until it closed. I found a seat in a secluded corner with hardly anyone around. I sat down and got to work.

Making very good process on my studying, I decided to take a break for a few minutes and play a game on my cell phone. I knew doing so would make me significantly less stressed, so I kept playing for a while.

Next think I knew, I woke up, and the room was pitch black. I glanced at my phone and saw the time was well past when the library closed. I peered around the room and into the hallway and jumped when I saw a man staring at me.

Realizing it was just a janitor, I calmly got up and walked into the hallway. He told me I needed to leave and quietly unlocked the door for me to head home.

I’ve been afraid to return to the library ever since.