< senior who has not quite yet survived it, here is my guide to utilizing comps to your advantage!
1. Use it as an excuse to get out of things.
Example: I am so sorry Bogdan! I can’t go to your 40 hour Fluxus performance where you recite digits of pi because I gotta do comps!
2. Use it an an excuse to have private dance parties. No room mate or passerby will judge you because we all know comps makes you crazy.
Simply: Pump up that T-Pain and bust out those awkward middle school dance moves.
3. Use it as an excuse to not do other work.
Example: Hi Professor McGonagall! So sorry but I can’t do the transfiguration exercise where I turn myself into a chipmunk because I need my opposable thumbs to do my comps.
4. Use it as an excuse to eat sugar.
You can: Buy that extra cupcake at CakeWalk because you deserve to treat yourself before you worked on your comps for a whole 10 minutes.
5. Use it as a bonding strategy for friends or significant others.
Just say: Hey Bjorn! Want to talk about how terrible Comps is (going to be) while falling in love at the same time?
6. Use it as an excuse for some gosh darn peace and quiet.
Thank goodness: No need to go to that awkward llama-themed half birthday party when you have papers to write and projects to do!
7. Use it to emphasize how tiring the Carleton workload is to people who haven’t heard of it.
You may have an interaction like the following:
Person 1: “What is a Carleton?”
Carl: “We have a mandatory thesis!”
Person 1: *gasp*
8. Use it as a method of personal growth and a way of showing all you have learned over your four years here.
You might think: Wow! This comps process was terrible, but maybe, just maybe, I have made something that I can be slightly proud of.