Lord, Ikaw na Bahala: Hell Week Edition

Written by: Jereline A. Masaoy

Hell Week. The season where sleep becomes a myth, coffee becomes your blood type, and your notes suddenly start looking like they were written in ancient ruins. It is that magical time of the semester when even the most religious atheists start whispering prayers, and group chats turn into therapy centers filled with memes, “same” replies, and panic-fueled reviewers.

                                                                                     

You know it is Hell Week when most of the passengers in the jeep are students clutching thick reviewers like their lives depend on it. Meanwhile, you only had one hour of sleep and zero hope left. Back then, you entered class with a full glam makeup. Now, you are paler than Wednesday Addams, minus the attitude but with all the stress.

 

Then comes the anxious question from a classmate:
“Uy, nag-review ka ba? Ako kasi hindi, inuna ko mental health ko.”
And your most comforting reply? “Hindi rin.”
Because during Hell Week, collective suffering feels like friendship.

                                                           

The funniest and most tragic part is when professors upload a mountain of PowerPoints to review, only for the exam to be just 50 items long. Add to that the fact that three of your subjects all scheduled exams on the same day, and suddenly you are forced to play your own version of the academic Hunger Games: which subject are you willing to sacrifice?

And here is the real kicker: sometimes, no matter how hard you grind and review like your life depends on it, you still end up failing. Sometimes, the moment you read the very first question, you already know you’re doomed. And you start thinking, I should’ve just slept instead of pretending I understood anything.

And while you try to study, temptations start creeping in. Review or sleep? Review or scroll TikTok? Review or take a “five-minute ML break” that somehow turns into a full ranked match? You pump yourself with caffeine until coffee practically replaces your bloodstream, but your reviewers already look like the ancient ruins of Encantadia. Nothing makes sense anymore, and it feels like not a single word is entering your brain.

That is when the breakdown kicks in. You start asking yourself questions like, 

“Am I still sane? Or kaya pa ba, self?”

And just when you are about to give up, you suddenly hear the words of mommy Oni echoing in your head:

“Pag di ka nag-review, babagsak ka. Pag bumagsak ka, wala kang pinag-aralan. Pag wala kang pinag-aralan, wala kang magiging trabaho. Pag wala kang trabaho, no choice kung ‘di maging f*kf*k. Pag naging f*kf*k, magkakasakit ka at mamamatay ka. Sh*t, mag-review ka.”

But let us be real: Hell Week makes you feel like a passing midterms cutie, even if your only reviewer was pure dasal. And the ultimate motivation after all this academic torture? A samgy session with the tropa, posting on Instagram with captions like “war is over” or “I survived.” Because nothing feels like heaven but an unlimited meat after unlimited exams.

At the end of the day, Hell Week is not just about exams. It is about the chaos, the caffeine, and the camaraderie. It is a cycle we all swear we will never repeat, but somehow always do. And when the stress finally clears, one thing remains true:

 "In college, brains help, but grit wins. Stay strong and finish the race. It is tough but its worth it".