To all my fellow college students out there...nine words of advice for you.....don’t let the stress of finals get to you. It’s possible that the stress of school is being carried over into other aspects of your life, your relationship with your significant other, your family matters, your relationship with your dog, but whatever it is, it’s not worth it. For every college student, the weeks leading up to finals is a stressful time, but there are ways we can manage the stress, and not let it get to us.

First, don’t look at the studying you have to do as some large, insurmountable amount of work that will take billions of years to complete. It’s not. Look at it as something you need to chip away at, something you need to do in pieces. Yes, I know what you’re thinking...“But I’m a procrastinator! I don’t chip away at things slowly, I wait until the last minute!” Well, my friends, you are not alone. I’m sure the majority of us, put off term papers and oral presentation prep, and studying for our finals, until the last minute. But, do not worry. As a procrastinator myself, I have had to find ways to keep calm. Like I said, just look at the studying as something not so impossible to achieve. You’ve got this. Break it down for yourself.

Whether you’ve waited until the last minute or not, you can still break it down. Just tell yourself you’ll devote 2 hours to studying for one final, and maybe an hour for another, and continue setting these goals. There are manageable ways to handle it. Just don’t get overwhelmed!

Second, try some meditation, some deep breathing, or anything that’ll center you and keep you calm. You don’t want to wig yourself out, you want to remain calm before taking these tests. You have grades at stake, graduation, or whatever it may be, and you want to do as well as possible. Before your next study session just sit yourself down and pay attention to your breathing. Center yourself and your mind and think positive thoughts. Some of you may think, “well that sounds silly to me.” But trust me, it will only benefit you in the long run. All of this is so important when your life might be stressful. Just think, if you’re calm, you’ll do well. Getting nervous for these tests will only pressure you, and it’s possible you may do worse when you’re all worked up. Just think of when you take a road test to get your drivers’ license. The more nervous you are, the worse you’ll probably end up doing. Put the worried thoughts out of your head, and just calm down. There’s no doubt you’ll be nervous and stressed, but putting forth the effort to minimize the stress, will help you in so many ways. Just try the meditation, I promise it’s worth it.

Third, get out there and exercise! Whether it’s at a gym or outside in the beautiful fall weather, just force yourself to relieve your stress in some physical activity. Scientifically speaking, exercise releases your endorphins, and endorphins make you happy! Don’t hole up in your dorm room or house for days on end without a break, just running yourself ragged with the stress you feel and all the studying you’re doing. Know when you need to take a step back and release some of that tension you have that’s been building up. Go for a short jog, or a nice brisk walk in the outdoors and appreciate nature for a while. You’ve earned it. After your exercise, you will most definitely feel refreshed, happy, and ready to continue with your studies in a less stressful state of mind.

Fourth, but not least, don’t let the stress you feel from finals carry over into all the other aspects of your life, because then your problems become bigger than they really have to be, and your stress level will be off the charts. Keep the stress you feel from school, reserved for school. Don’t take the stress out on your parents, your family, or your significant other. Have a fight with your mom? Try and realize it’s probably from the stress you’re feeling, and not because she wouldn’t let you borrow the car. Don’t keep harping on the excuse that you can’t be nice to people because college is stressing you out. You’re still a decent human being, I know you are. Keep the college stress at college. That’s where it belongs. And most importantly, don’t think that the stress from finals, the fight you had with your significant other, your parents pressuring you, and any other stressful thing going on in your life, have to all be grouped together into one big problem that is ultimately ruining your life. You cannot let the stress of finals get to you like that!