As November comes to a close, Christmas decorations go up, Relient K's Christmas album remains on repeat, and peppermint mochas from Starbucks are a must. Christmas break is so close we can taste it, but there is also a massive mountain to scale before those four weeks of red and green bliss: finals week. There's no possible way to skip out, but here's five things that might make finals just a little bit easier.

1. Tea—and lots of it

There is absolutely no way I'd try to get through finals week without plenty of tea. Everyone leans on coffee like no tomorrow, but I swear by tea. Some teas have just as much caffeine as coffee—if not more! There are so many antioxidants and nutrients that the health benefits are significantly greater than those of coffee. It's the perfect cure for those end of semester colds that just won't let go. I've been saved from my fair share of sore throats by this tea combo:

•12 oz of peppermint tea

•1 tbsp of honey

•a dusting of cinnamon

Steep tea for five minutes, stir in honey until dissolved, and add cinnamon. Enjoy!

2. Staying Busy

Don't let your mind wander! If you're feeling distracted while studying, get up, move around, take a break. Come back refreshed and ready to tackle anything you have to do. If you're feeling especially distracted, access your surroundings. Are you around too many people? Are you not around enough people? Would the library be less distracting than your room? Or are you too much of a bookworm not to let your mind wander to what words there might be to discover on those pages? The Atlantic had a great article on the 52 and 17 rule: work for 52 minutes, break for 17.

3. Great Music

The way I study best is in our campus coffee shop with a hot drink and good music. I never leave my dorm without my headphones, and my friends are constantly showing me new music, and I never even attempt to study without listening to music. This is one of my favorite Spotify playlists to listen to while studying right now, especially if you, like me, function better with a coffee house vibe. I also love Sleeping at Last, Adam Young Scores, and Carinthia if you like to listen to more instrumental music while you study your heart out.

4. Sleep!

Sleep is so, so important, and not something you should take for granted. Get as much sleep as you possibly can. I know you think you can stay up for 52 hours straight, but trust me, I did that this summer and wound up missing a flight and hallucinating in the airport. You don't need to be having crazy visions of zombies during your Calculus final. Get some naps and listen to your body. If your eyes are threatening to glue shut in the library at 11pm, it's probably because your brain is trying to tell you something.

5. Time with Friends

As busy as you are going to be over the next two weeks, it's important to cherish all the time with friends you can get. Productive breaks from studying can mean watching an episode of Gilmore Girls with your bestie down the hall or going to that ugly Christmas sweater party with your gal pals. Catch up with your people before all of you have to go home and be separated for Christmas break. Those four weeks sound great, but you'll miss all your best friends before even a week is up. Make study groups, enjoy down time with your pals, and destress before finals kick into high gear.

You're going to do great. Finals are not the end of the world, and you will survive finals week. As soon as you're done, you have a glorious Christmas break to look forward to!