The last few weeks of the semester are coming up fast. As the school year is (finally/already) coming to a close, it also brings with it finals, papers, assignments, projects and a whole lot of stress. But there is also a three-month break for the summer! I know that the end of the year is mostly filled with stress over the looming assignments and tests coming up, but here are a few things to look forward to and that can help you get through these last couple of weeks.

1. The Promise of Sleep.

With all of the papers, projects, activities, meetings and studying for finals that have been going on nonstop, you’ve probably been losing some sleep as it is. People always stress about the importance of sleep, especially with tests and assignments coming up, but it can be hard when you’ve had “the semester of papers” with more work around every corner. But soon you’ll be able to sleep. Plus, there won’t be any random fire alarms in the middle of the night. You can sleep in on the weekends, sometimes during the middle of the week - and most importantly: you’ll probably be able to sleep in until --or even past--10 a.m., which is a real bonus and reward for dealing with all of those 7 and 8 a.m classes you may have had this semester.

2. Home Cooked Meals

Admit it. While the dining on campus was great for the first week, maybe even a month of school, it got really old really fast. BUT soon enough we’ll be home, in the comfort of our own beds and able to wake up to breakfast, make homemade lunches and have Mom and Dad’s delicious home cooked meals that we’ve been missing all year. Even though the idea of late night Starbucks and fast food runs may have at once been promising, the thought of your family’s meals together is much more exciting. And you’ll all be sitting around a table instead of a desk cluttered with books and papers.

3. Laundry

I don’t know about you, but finding an available and working washer and dryer on campus isn’t always the easiest task. You also don’t want to be that person who takes out someone's laundry that’s been sitting there taking up a machine for at least an hour. But at home, you’ll have pretty much free reign over when you want to do your laundry -- and hey, maybe you’ll even get a break and your parents may offer to do a load or two for you.

4. Take a Break

Because you still have a few weeks left, you will need something more than just a promise of some sanity to return home to weeks ahead of schedule. For this, take a break. Go outside, take a walk, listen to some music, find a way to relax. Studying 24/7 isn’t likely to help you when you go to a final exam sleep deprived, starving and feeling a little insane. It’s been proven that taking short breaks in between study sessions or tasks can help boost your productivity and thought processes.

5. Go to the Gym

This is also a great way to clear your mind and body of any stress and tension. Go for a jog outside if it’s nice. Go to a yoga class to relax and calm down. Unwind and release some anger and worries by going to a spin, Zumba, kickboxing, or cardio class. The gym is a great and healthy way to relieve some of the stress that has been building up over the semester and in the past few weeks of studying. Take advantage of it.

6. Call Home

Even though you’ll be there soon for a few months, calling home every once in a while can be nice, especially when you’re under some stress. Believe it or not, your parents want to hear from you every now and then because they love and miss you -- at least a little bit. Also, parents usually have that knack for calming you down and they’re able to help put things in perspective when you’re freaking out over all of those due dates and finals coming up.

7. Call a Friend

Good friends are also always there for you. If you have a good group of friends on campus, call them and get together. Talk about random, silly stories or have deep, philosophical ideas and conversations. Plan a study session in the library or a lunch break to unwind at Panera or go to Starbucks for a coffee break. Maybe go out one-night dancing, or stay in to have a movie marathon to distract you from none other than the stress that you’ve been feeling lately. And remember, soon when you go home you’ll have your childhood friends to do these things with for a whole summer. You can still keep in touch with those friends and your friends at school over the summer and year-round, so there’s no need to worry about that.

8. Watch Some Silly/Cute Videos

This is another way to distract yourself and have a break or a much-needed laugh. My friends can tell you that I can occasionally be found looking at random videos, laughing, smiling, or crying in enjoyment. While they may think it’s weird, believe me, they love to watch them with me too...or at least they get a laugh watching my reactions! Some of my favorites include Jessica’s Daily Affirmation, the Zombie Prank, Kid President, Mightyduck vines, puppies in a ball pit, puppies playing and any other animal videos can never hurt.

9. Believe in Yourself

This may be the most important one of all of these tips and tricks. Believe in yourself. You got where you are today by doing something right. It may have been difficult, scary, awful; maybe even a struggle and a half somewhere along the way. But the journey is also bound to have had at least a few great moments you can look back on. You made it. You can not be defined by your grades, the way you look, or by any number of other stupid things. Don’t devalue yourself for anything. The semester is almost over and you are doing great! Remember, no matter what, “You are enough. You are so enough. It is unbelievable how enough you are.”