Finals week may be one of the most stressful weeks of the semester, but slowing down and making sure you take care of yourself will help with your stress level. Whether you go to college or you’re still in high school, these tips will help keep you calm, cool and collected!

One of the first things I’ve learned throughout my years of taking tests and surviving college final week is: getting plenty of sleep before your test. Although I may be a hypocrite, because I often don’t get enough sleep, I do believe getting a good night’s sleep will help you stay focused as well as improve your memory. This is one of the things they teach us in high school- sleep is always the answer.

Keeping your body healthy is another way to improve your mental health and doing well on your exam. If you don’t get sleep and you don’t eat in a healthy way, your body becomes weak and your mind often focuses on these weaknesses.

• Don’t change your eating habits during finals week.
• Always take time out of studying to continue your meal routines.
• Always try and have breakfast before you take your test. I can’t tell you how many times I have been distracted or have felt hurried while taking an exam because I was hungry.

Studying for four or five exams in one week may be tough, but if you manage your time well, you’ll be able to keep your mind intact and successfully prepare yourself for the major exam.

• First off, make sure you know your finals week schedule- what day and time you have your finals. Knowing this in advance will help you map out your studying schedule.
• Estimate how much time you should spend on studying for each final and stick to that plan.
• Also, find a nice quiet place, where you feel comfortable and focused, to study. Doing this will help you retain the information you’re trying to remember and learn.

One of my biggest problems is procrastination. I tend to save papers and studying for the last possible seconds. I have learned from these mistakes. This will not only make you completely stressed out, but it will also alter the integrity of your studying. Don’t let this hurt your grades! You’ve worked hard all semester; you’re on the last stretch, so keep yourself focused.

Although this may be one of the most stressful weeks of the school year, you need to be able to keep yourself calm and confident. Some college students can’t take this much pressure and often feel like it’s impossible to go on. Don’t let that be you. Some of the best tension and stress breakers involve doing things with your friends. I’m not talking about partying. I’m talking about doing little things that will help you relax and have fun! You don’t have to be serious 100 percent of the time. Some of the things I enjoy doing with my friends are:

• Watching movies together
• Playing board games
• Just hanging out and talking
• Going out to dinner or breakfast
• Studying together

Sometimes you need a break from the books and your friends offer the best support and fun, so take advantage of that.

The pressure of doing well may become overwhelming at times. At colleges, it becomes dangerous because there are a lot of other releases that are tempting. Stay away from alcohol and drugs that help you stay up at all hours of the night. Although we may not like to think such drugs exist or that students take them, they do and you have to be careful not to let the pressure get to you.

The number one thing I recommend is to take breaks. Don’t beat yourself into the ground. Make sure you take care of yourself; that’s the most important test you can ace!