Ninth Week: Surviving Midterms, Activities and Heartbreak

    This week has been a whirlwind, to say the least. Midterms are here, and the pressure is on. But what makes it even harder is being part of a group project where I seem to be the "only" one doing the work. I kept telling myself, It’s okay, we’ll get through this together, but “together” quickly turned into “just me.”  

    Our group was supposed to collaborate on a major project. Everyone had their roles assigned, and I was optimistic at first. But as the days passed, their excuses piled up—"I’m busy," "I’ll do it later," "You’re better at this." Eventually, it was just me staring at a blank document, trying to piece together what was supposed to be a collective effort.  

    I stayed up late for nights in a row, thinking, writing, creating and editing our poems. It was exhausting, but I knew I had to finish it because failing wasn’t an option. And yet, the hardest part wasn’t the workload—it was feeling like I was being taken for granted.  

    As if that wasn’t enough, life threw me another curveball. In the middle of all this stress, "she" decided it was time to end things. Her words still echo in my mind: “I think we’re just not working anymore.”

    I didn’t know how to respond. I felt like I was crumbling from the inside out. I wanted to ask, "Why now? Why in the middle of everything?" But all I could do was nod and say, “I understand,” even though I didn’t.  

    That night, I sat in my groupmate's living area surrounded by unfinished tasks, trying to make sense of everything. The breakup wasn’t just about losing her—it felt like losing my support system, the one person I thought I could lean on. And the group project? That felt like the perfect metaphor for how alone I felt in life at that moment.  

    But here’s the thing: I survived. I poured all my frustration and sadness into finishing that project, and somehow, I got it done. When I passed it, no one saw the struggle behind it, just the polished final product.  

    This week taught me something I didn’t expect: I’m stronger than I think. Yes, people let me down, and yes, my heart is still aching, but I know I can rely on myself when it matters most.  

    Midterms may have tested my knowledge, but life tested my resilience—and I passed both.