Melissa always had trouble sleeping during exams. Her mind was sometimes difficult to calm and with the anxiety that came with midterms, it was nearly impossible. The written exams were not a worry for her. She could remember details that most people skim over and she was skilled at explaining her logic. She tended to have very linear thinking and as such, she tested well.
Practicals made her worry more. She knew she was skilled and she felt comfortable with the material, however, there was so much about the testing situation that could not be predicted or controlled. She liked to be prepared down to the minutia of everything, but it was difficult to know which spells would be the ones deemed most significant by her professors and even more difficult to know the conditions under which she'd be asked to perform.
Her anxiety had her up early and her restlessness got her to leave the dorm. She'd reorganized her bookshelf six times in the last four days and she was worried that Raisa would wake up if she started at it again. A walk in the fresh air was supposed to help these kinds of feelings. It was one of the techniques she was taught to use when her stress level got too high. Change the scenery and practice some deep breathing.
Her walk took her to the beach. She kept her loafers on, not liking the feeling of sand on her bare feet and she strolled down to where the tide was. The sound of the water was relaxing and peaceful. She could feel her heartbeat calming as she listened to it. Up ahead, she could see someone sitting on the sand and moved closer to get a better look. Smiling when she saw it was Makola.
"Good Morning." She said when she got close enough. "Getting an early start on studying?" She liked Makola very much. Her family had spent a little time in Tanzania, though not near where Makola's village had been. She'd liked it very much and was quite interested in the culture and people there.