I remember it was a spring afternoon. I was in the 3rd floor study room, sitting there waiting for our Shanghai Stories professor to send us our exam paper. We were required to write an essay in 90 minutes. This was my first time writing an essay with a time limit. 

I felt my heart pounding as the clock reached 59. As soon as I received the email, I read through it, but I was so nervous that nothing stayed in my mind. I had to go over it once again and I could feel my face burning up as I read. From panic, of course. 

I got to finish my thesis when suddenly, a girl started pacing outside of my study room and chatting on her phone. With hope that it would stop eventually, I put on my headphones and turned on noise cancelling. At first, I could only hear my breath and the keyboard, but I just couldn’t fully block the sound of her giggles and chatting voices. 

The test ended in her giggles and my pounding heartbeats. I almost threw up in all that panic. Everything was so distant. I thought that I’d pass out because the air was suffocating. 

After a minute or two, I took out my earphones. I could still hear her mutters, but it didn’t bother me that much anymore.