It's that time again, the last hurdle, the final few weeks before Winter break. You've had a taste of the good life with Thanksgiving break, home-cooking, time with family and absolutely no work! However, upon return to school, you know what awaits you is work, work, and more work. How will you get through it? Using these five tips obviously...

1. Make a List

I personally love making lists, but even if that’s not your thing, it’s a great way to get organized. If you make a list of everything that’s due with the deadlines, it will help you stay on task and determine what to prioritize. Also, it feels great to check things off as you go, so lists are good motivators!

2. Don’t Stress

It can be daunting to see all 500 things due in the next few weeks laid out on a piece of paper. I get that. But, at the end of the day, stressing about something isn’t going to make it any better. You know you’ll get it all done, so there’s no need to worry about that now, just get started and the rest will follow. You’ll be home and over all of this before you know it!

3. Take it One Task at a Time

If you look at it as a million tasks, that will be overwhelming, so just focus on one task at a time. You have three papers and two exams? Okay, you might need to multitask a bit, but make each one a priority. If you rush through every assignment trying to get them done, it’s going to be shabby work. If you’re going to do something, you might as well do it right, so whatever you’re working on in the moment, make that your focus.

4. Take Breaks

In the midst of the craziness of these final few weeks, it’s important to take breaks. If your brain is working 24/7 at warp speed, you’re going to burn out. Work on a few assignments, then go take a walk outside. It will help your mind recover, and might even spark new ideas for your papers or exams. Finish up your paper, take a 20-minute break and watch an episode of something calming on Netflix (The Office is my go-to!) before diving into your test study guide.

5. SLEEP!!!

This is sort of a reminder for myself because I tend not to do this on a regular basis. During finals, and in general, it’s important to get enough sleep. I’m the type of person that will stay up ‘til the wee hours finishing something with the “I’ll sleep when I’m dead” mentality, but that’s not the healthiest so this advice is for myself as much as anyone else. If you can shoot for 6 or 7 hours of sleep then that’s a good place to be; if you can get more than that I salute you—also tell me your secrets!!

If you follow all of these tips, then you should be in a good place when these typically stressful weeks arrive.