Hi, Andrew. I, too, am going through caffeine withdrawal, and the only thing that keeps me from brewing a cup of java is the fact that my stomach is doing so much better now. I don't think the coffee is worth the pain. The one thing, though, that concerns me about your post is the fact that you're so worried about your degree. Now, I can relate...because I have a degree from Oberlin College, which is a pretty damn good school, too. Here's a story for perspective:
When I went back to school, I was 22...with a 2 year old son. I applied on a whim to Oberlin and got in. I came from a very tiny, rural high school, so I had a lot of catching up to do. I was overwhelmed by the kids from private schools who seemed so smart and with it. I thought my grades (B+s and As) were terrible. At the same time as I was undertaking 15 credit hours a semester (as a double major in Medieval English and Ancient Christianity), I was working 15-20 hours a week to support my son, cooking and cleaning, studying, and potty-training a very potty-resistant child. What put it all into perspective for me was the fact that I HAD As and Bs while doing everything else!
Now, I didn't graduate with honors or write a stunning thesis, but each and every one of my professors remembers me and is very, very amazed with the quality of work I produced, given my circumstances. Moreover, we are colleagues now, as I work for the school from which I graduated. They still think my work is stellar...and now I'm a single mom with a going-on 11-year old son, which I can say is probably worse than potty-training!
Maybe just talking to your professors about your current situation, in a very honest way, and asking for a bit or help or tolerance will get you through. Whenever I was overwhelmed, I went to my professors for help. Not for pity, mind you, just to state what was going on and see if they could bend deadlines by a day or let me take a test at a different time (if a babysitter wasn't available). Because I did this, I got through Oberlin in 3 years, earned my degree, and got a job that actually lets me support my son.
Best of luck to you! Don't give up!
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