'I Can Never Concentrate After Spring Break,' Claims Senior Who Hasn't Been to a Lecture in 2 Years

The time between spring break and summer vacation is an awkward period for all Penn students. We live our lives like characters in a Greek tragedy, buried in a whirlwind of assignments, extracurricular commitments, and internship woes while constantly being reminded that summer's freedom is just barely out of reach, even if that freedom means working at a soul-crushing internship for 12 weeks so you can pay for next year’s PV trip. Even the most committed individuals can suffer lapses in concentration during this period.

Like the rest of us, Harold Kilpatrick (C ‘18) has been doing the best he can to keep his head above water. “I’ve got a lot of things on my mind and sometimes it can get a little overwhelming, especially since I’m officially going to be an adult in two months,” he told UTB after rescheduling our interview with us three times (each excuse essentially, “I’m really hungover and I don’t usually get out of bed before 2 p.m.”).

He went on to talk about the "totally brutal" workload he had coming up in the next six weeks, complaining about a class he’s literally never attended. “The lecture notes he posts on Canvas look sorta shitty and he’s got like a 2.4 rating on PennCourseReview so I figured I’d just check out some Khan Academy videos to prep for the final. Honestly, I’m a way better self-learner so I’m happy that I get to use my time more efficiently,” Kilpatrick told us, even though he doesn’t own the class’ textbook or have a Khan Academy account.