Treat This Like Homework Too – During and before finals week, you’re going to have to do an incredible amount of work. No matter what, it is probably going to be exhausting and terrible. It’s really hard to be able to get through this when you have nothing to look forward to but the work. So, as you set time aside for studying, also set time aside for relaxation. One method that’s worked for me is no studying during mealtimes. Until I eat breakfast, I can not do work. For an hour during lunch, I can not do work. Besides eating, it’s my time to read, write, lie in my bed, or do any useless thing. During quarantine, this helped compartmentalize schooltime versus non-schooltime, and now, it forces me to allow my brain to rest. 

Reward Yourself – Make sure these breaks are meaningful, too, times where you can enjoy your day and celebrate the enormous work you’ve already put in. I personally like to reward myself with playing video games for a few minutes, or with snacks—chips, fruit, cookies, popcorn. Healthier ways include going for a walk if it’s nice outside, drawing, playing with stress toys, listening to some music, smelling candles, or talking to a friend. Do these little things throughout the day, and try to leave time for something bigger too—a movie at the end of the day, an hour reading, or an hour doing your favorite sport. Again, this self-care is your homework. Your brain can not survive without rewards and short-term positives.

Be Kind to Yourself – If you’re an overachiever like me, taking time for self-care is reasonable, but your main barrier to self-love is that you can’t forgive yourself when you don’t perform. But this itself is unreasonable. Let’s take the unthinkable scenario you fear every finals week—you fail all your finals. You fail all your classes. In this scenario, the absolute worst that can happen, there is still an escape. It may sound cheesy, but whoever you are as a reader, I am confident that you can survive whatever comes. In the event that you fail everything, set up an appointment with your advisor, talk to your professors, vent about the situation to your friends, breathe, and find a way forward. In the far more likely event that you don’t fail everything, but you do get less than straight A’s, don’t catastrophize, talk to your professor if you need to, breathe, and celebrate. You have gotten through another semester at college, you have learned at least enough to somewhat pass, and you are one step closer to making a life for yourself. The most important thing here is not getting an A—most of you might actually know this, but some of you might really need to hear it again. The most important thing is getting a good enough grade to move forward with your goals, while also staying in a good state of mind throughout the work. In that spirit, take time off if you need to, and don’t worry so much about the results.

Spend Time Being Kind to Others – While finals week is a great excuse for avoiding many things, it’s not an excuse for being inconsiderate or unkind. Please don’t take up a study spot for half the day, leave papers all over the dorm room, or yell at your roommates or friends if they interrupt you. Even if it takes effort, be polite to those who come across you, and be a caring friend and person—this is good for you as well.

Get Enough Sleep – Adults need 7-8 hours of sleep. Staying up all night doing homework is not the way to get through finals. The closer to 8 hours you get, the better your grade.

Don’t Drink Too Much Caffeine – On that note, you might think you can cheat all your sleep with coffee or tea. Finals week is indeed the time to push yourself, but not this hard. As a survivor of many exams, I can tell you that sleep is cheaper than caffeine, and also brings better results.

Don’t Forget to Be Awesome – A quote from John Green of the Crash Course channel. I hope these tips can help you survive a tiny bit better during every finals week you come across—from all of Bonfire, good luck!!!