With finals week finally getting into full swing, I’m sure most of us are completely done with school. We are mentally exhausted, haven’t been sleeping, have been forgetting to eat, are reaching our breaking point, and are running off of hope and caffeine. I’m sure we have all thought about throwing in the towel several times this week and are pretty much over this whole school thing. That being said, everyone manages to pull through finals week. So whether it’s your first finals week or your very last, here are a few things you should hear before you completely give up on college.

1. Your grades are not a reflection of your self-worth or intelligence.

Yes, grades are important. I’m not saying they aren’t. That’s kind of why we came to college in the first place. We wanted to learn, get our degree, and some day find a job in our field of choice. Just because grades are an important aspect of college, it does not mean they are the most important thing. Grades can’t show people all the talents you bring to the table. They can’t show people that you have an uncanny ability to think outside the box or that you have really great people skills. They don’t even really show how well you know the material in some cases. They show people how well you take tests and there is so much more to life than taking tests. Remember that this finals week when you start feeling really down on yourself for not having straight A’s. There is more to you than the grades you make

2. You are doing the best you can. Cut yourself some slack.

Some classes are just hard. Sometimes you just aren’t going to get it. Sometimes you are going to have to retake a class because life sucks. That doesn’t make you a failure. That makes you human. We struggle sometimes. Everyone does, it’s not just you. If you are studying as much as you can and you’ve given a class your all, but you still aren’t sure that you’re going to pass that’s okay. You are doing the best you can so stop being so hard on yourself. Give yourself a break. We are our biggest critic, which means we can also be our biggest fan. You know how much effort you put into studying. That means you are fully aware that there is nothing more you could have done, and sometimes that means you just have to give it another shot. Just breathe and have faith in yourself. You’re doing all you can.

3. Take care of yourself

I know right with everything on your plate, it doesn’t seem all that important to make sure you are getting enough sleep, that you are eating healthy, and to take time for your mental health. You have to make sure you’ve studied as much as humanly possible right? Not exactly. You can’t do your best work if you are not your best self which means healthy and well rested. There is no point in trying to take an exam if you are going to fall asleep half way through or if you are constantly thinking about how hungry you are. Taking time to make sure you are taken care of is the best thing you can do during finals week because you are more important than those grades could ever be. Make sure you have your own back first.

4. One grade will not change the entire world.

I know sometimes it feels like one class will change your entire future. Like your future employer will see that you made a C in one of your first core classes and be like “I was definitely going to hire but then I saw that C you made. I’m sorry but we don’t have time for employees who are human and make mistakes.” In all actuality, we all know that is not how it works, but that doesn’t always put us at ease during finals week. I’m here to tell you that no matter what grade you make in that one class, it will not derail your entire life plan. Your life plan will be okay even after grades are turned in. You may have to slightly readjust but you will be fine. We all will. That is life. Nothing is ever set in stone. Nothing ever really goes as expected. Just accept that one decision, one grade, one outcome will not have any serious weight against all the other positive outcomes you’ve had this far.

5. This only one week out of you’re whole life.

You are young. You have lived through so many week in your life. Personally I’m only 20 so that means I’ve made it through approximately 1044 weeks. I’ve also survived 4 finals week so far. This is just another week. After this week, our term will be over and we can all go celebrate with family and friends that we’ve made it through. We can relax, watch holiday movies, and recharge before we start again. Once you live through this week, you will get the chance to live through many many more and it will all be fine. You will barely remember this week, it will be just a fleeting thought in your mind and you’ll never think about how crazy it was ever again. You just have to make it through though.

6. Think about how far you’ve came already.

Think about the town you came from, think about all the people you graduated high school with, think about you’re first semester here and all the people who never thought you would’ve made it this far. Getting into college itself is a great accomplishment. Making it to finals week is an even bigger one. You have learned so much, you have done so much this term alone. Personally, I’m super proud of you. Way to go. Now when you think about everything you have done this term, about everything you have overcome it is ridiculous to think that you can’t get through this week. You are so smart! You’ve passed classes before, you’ll do it once again. It won’t be easy and it never is. My mom is always telling me “If it were easy then everyone would do it, but it’s not and that’s why you do it. It’s hard to be exceptional.” She is very right about that. College isn’t for everyone. College is a lot of long night, a lot of struggling, and a lot of very hard weeks like this one where you have to give it everything you have. It’s not for those who lack dedication and luckily you aren’t one of those people. You are exceptional. Pat yourself on the back and remember how amazing you are. Buckle down and kick finals week’s butt.