Finals in colleges and high schools all over are coming up and I have a few tips to help with the anxiety and craziness of them.

1. Breathe

This may seem obvious but when you become overwhelmed remember to take a deep breathe in and count to ten and then breathe out. If needed repeat until you feel in control of the situation.

2. Make a game plan

Now that we can breathe and have control over what happens we can make a game plan to tackle finals. I suggest buying a white board from Dollar General or Walmart and different colored white board markers. Write down the classes you have and the dates of your final. From there begin studying what finals you have first and remember to take breaks.

3. Studying

Now that we can breathe and have a game plan in action. We can now focus on how to study. People vary on how long they can study for. For me it depends on the subjects because some come easier to me than others.

For the easy ones I try to study for a half hour to maybe an hour because it shouldn't be that hard for me to figure out what I don't know from what I do.

For harder subjects I take about an hour and figure out what I do know and make a pile of "shit I know" and "no fucking clue". From there I look at the "no fucking clue" pile and if they are definitions or formulas I make flash cards. (Flash cards are super cheap and can be found at Dollar General, Walmart and even pharmacy's)

4. Eating on Study Breaks

Okay its now time to take a break because your stomach is rumbling and is demanding food. Make sure on your study breaks you eat and I mean eat a meal. Also try to keep somewhat healthy snacks on hand. Processed sugars will not help your brain focus on your material. Also make sure you have water on hand. I know how tempting a energy drink or coffee can be. Buy a gallon of water they are usually no more than a $1 and make sure you at least drink 1 gallon a day. It's better if you drink 2 but I know how studying can be.

5. Study breaks

So now that we know to eat and make a game plan and oh breathe. We can now focus on what to do on study breaks besides eat or what I like to do which is sleep. On your break do something that you enjoy or need to do. Such as chores or showering. You can play a game on your phone or watch some tv. Just remember to set a time limit so you don't leave your study material all alone and ruin your chance of a good grade on the final. Usually a half hour to an hour is plenty of time for a break. When going back to studying do a mini review then move on.

6. Sleep

Remember to get at least a few hours of rest and I mean deep rest. Studying all night can lead to crashes and blanking out on the final. Getting enough sleep like the suggest 8-10 hours of sleep is ideal but lets be real sometimes life likes to take control of everything.

I think these study tips for the hell week of finals can make it more manageable. Happy Studying and Good Luck!