Finals are quite possibly the most stressful time of the year. Not only are you absolutely SLAMMED with papers, group projects, powerpoint presentations, and, of course, final exams, but you’re likely also invited to numerous holiday parties or get togethers or you simply just want to feel festive and relax a little one evening with a hot chocolate and The Polar Express, which is totally understandable. It’s a reasonable desire to have, but if you’re a student here at MMC, you know all too well that our fall semester ends practically on Christmas morning and the temptation to live up the holiday season is heightened further by the tree lighting and ice skating in Rockefeller Center and the reveal of the Macy’s and Sak’s Fifth Ave holday window displays in early December. Even harder is the second weekend of the month when Santa is nearly inescapable – Santacon. Perhaps the quickest, and most terrifying, realization is walking out on Saturday morning to involuntarily enter a red sea of Santas, elves, and everything in between, loud and drunk at 10:30 in the morning, especially when you’re still half asleep yourself (trust me, you definitely are not anymore). If you’re not here in NYC for the holiday season, you can probably understand at this point how difficult it can be to exist and live a normal life here during December, nonetheless actually sit down and study – yeah, it’s really hard. Now finishing up my third fall semester with my third week of holiday-interrupted finals just around the corner, I have gathered and condensed my go-to steps into actually surviving this week with as few tears and breakdowns as possible that, if followed, will guarantee you and I can make it to the light at the end of this very long and narrow tunnel. (If it helps, I imagine that light to be the light of my Christmas tree at home!)

1. Get organized.

I know this seems pretty simple and probably obvious. It’s not that I don’t think you don’t know finals are all about organization, but I do know how hard it can be to lose sight of this when trying to get everything done at once. You might think it is easier to tackle it all at once and get it over with, but chances are you will become overwhelmed very quickly and won’t be able to get nearly as much done as you might if you organize your schedule thoroughly and allocate your time wisely. I always begin by making sure every single thing I have to do is written down in my planner.

I put essays, homework, projects, papers, finals, my work schedule, and even my plans with my friends in there to make sure I make enough time for everything and that I don’t forget to do one task while trying to power through another. I am also a HUGE FAN of color coordinating. Do yourself a favor and invest in a Costco-sized variety pack of colored felt-tip or gel pens. I have the value pack of Bic Flare pens, and I swear by them. Not only do they spruce up my journal and my planner every day, but they are also super helpful in keeping me concentrated and engaged after long afternoons of studying because the moment I feel my eyes drooping and my mind wandering, I change colors and continue to power through. This trick always works for me and truly helps me to stay organized when I feel like I’m drowning in papers and homework.

2. Take a break and treat yo self.

It is far too easy to get wrapped up in studying, especially if this is your first semester and your first week of finals. Yes, it is important to study and do well, and I also acknowledge how stressful it can be (obv) to balance the extra workload of five classes on top of a job, social life, etc. You’re probably tempted to use every extra moment to study and get it all done as quickly as you can. Most often, however, you will spend four to five hours at a time cramming the night before for a test and end up rolling into class with an awful headache and absolutely no clue what you did the whole time because you can’t seem to recall any of it.

But, SURPRISE: There is a simple solution to this problem! (yay!) If you set a timer for yourself to study in increments of 30 minutes to an hour at a time with breaks in-between filled with snacks, lattes, and a quick episode of HIMYM, you’ll probably amaze yourself with how much you’re actually able to retain. I always break mine up with a quick episode of a sitcom or a walk outside (depending on the weather). I’d say that of everything I do to help me through studying and writing papers, taking a quick has proven to be the most effective. I’m usually sitting for hours at the time I reach my break, so dedicating my break time to walking around and getting my blood pumping and my mind and body refreshed with the crisp, fresh air is always key to my success during these stressful and overwhelming weeks.

3. Disconnect so you can reconnect.

It is super easy to open your computer to write your final term paper and suddenly find yourself, two hours later, scrolling through Facebook and online shopping with nothing but your name typed at the top of the word document, which is due at midnight on Blackboard. Before you even let yourself get to this point, disconnect from the world of media. If you don’t need the internet to write your paper or study for your exams, try disconnecting from the Wi-Fi for a few hours.

Unless it’s absolutely imperative that you stay online, I suggest turning it off so you may fully focus on your work and get it done with a clear mind not bogged down by who said what and who went where (FOMO is a bitch when your friends are all done for the semester and your school still have weeks left *cough cough Marymount*. By giving your mind (and your eyeballs) a break from the chaos of Facebook and Twitter, you’ll be freeing up so much space for studying and concentrating.

Also, it will work as a great incentive for your breaks that you’ve timed into your study schedule because you can use some of that time to reconnect, if you feel you absolutely need to. It will probably be hard at first, but once you’ve done it, you will hopefully realize just how beneficial and relieving it is to shut yourself off from social media and overuse of screen time. Your mind will be so much more clear and ready to tackle the rush of finals and studying before the overwhelming holiday season is in full-swing.

Before you end up with your hair in a rat’s nest, trudging to school dazed and confused after pulling an all-nighter to finish a project, consider following these three easy steps first so you might be able to enjoy your last weeks of the semester, rather than dread them for years to come. They are not as stressful if you allocate your time wisely, give yourself baby study breaks, and limit your time scrolling through social media. I promise these weeks will suddenly feel like a breeze if you are kind to your body and your mind. Limit your coffee intake, go to bed on time, and cut yourself some slack – you can 100% nail finals week and enjoy your holiday season, you’ve got this!