It's almost mid-April, and we all knows what that means -- finals week is rapidly approaching. Finals week has become ubiquitous with immense stress and an overwhelming sense of, well, being overwhelmed. These two words can make any college student's young head of hair begin to grey.

In my opinion, one of the worst aspects of finals week is the fact that it seems as if you have the majority of your assignments in all of your classes due within an extremely short period of time. The phrase, "so much to do, in so little time," couldn't be more accurate in describing these last couple of weeks before reading days. Whether it be a presentation, research paper, or a final exam, almost every college student can relate to the uphill battle which is finals week. And anyone who thinks this epic showdown between student and work subsides on the weekends is greatly mistaken.

Most ironically, at least for me, the true stress of finals week strikes on the weekends. During the two days when you can actually relax and unwind, the sickening thought of all the work I have yet to complete looms in the back of my mind. In fact, this is more torturous than actually studying for or taking my exams. Nevertheless, this coming finals week will be my fourth and my life has yet to crumble. In fact, quite the contrary has happened, I've not only learned to manage my time more efficiently but most importantly persevere.

Many people claim that finals week can make or break them, academically, thus placing an exorbitant amount of pressure on themselves. In many cases the importance of finals week is valid, but like any challenge you have to be ready to face it head-on. Instead of looking at finals week as this daunting time, we should look at it as an opportunity to show all of our hard work up until this point. We made it this far, why stop when it really matters?

As a current college student wrapped up in the impending chaos of finals week, I understand how it is difficult to look ahead to the future. But I think this is key in conquering any obstacle, especially finals. All of those early mornings and late nights will pay off in the end. And we will be thankful that we made those sacrifices. Instead of focusing on the rigor of the task at hand, just think of the enormous pay-off at the end of the journey.

So, to all of my fellow college students who are about to embark upon finals week, focus on the positives of your hard work and know that your future-self will be very gracious. Embrace the challenge and you will be amazed by the outcome.