Welcome to the time of the semester that we all dread. A time where the days get longer and you tend to find yourself spending more time in the library than you do in your own room, commonly known as finals (please que the spooky background music).

That’s right ladies and gentlemen, finals, the f word no one likes to say, are right around the corner and they are coming up fast. Get ready for the immense feeling of being so close, but yet so far away, from winter break. This is followed by the phase of sleepless nights while trying to prepare as much as you can or finish up a project, a phase that college students know all too well. During this time, many college students tend forget to properly take care of themselves because they have become so invested in their academics to the point where the only thing on their mind is their school work. In the midst of all of this, it is very important that you still try your best to remember to treat your body like the temple it is. Here are some helpful “forget-me-nots” that you can do to take care of your body while not taking too much time away from your seemingly endless to-do list:

1) Sleep

I will say this once very loud and clear: SLEEP

It is so important to your health and success. You should think twice before pulling an “all-nighter" because it is truly not good for your thought process and overall health. Do not let all of that hard work go to waste just because you thought for a hot second that you could do well on a test with a lack of sleep. Getting zzz’s equals getting A’s (with proper exam preparation of course) so make sure you rest well, at least 7 hours of sleep a night.

2) Start Your Day Off Right

Eat something for breakfast. Breakfast is truly a forgotten, and underrated, meal of the day but it is very crucial to giving you the pick me up you need and keeping your body well fed. You’re not expected to eat a continental breakfast, just something small you can grab before you start your day, like a granola bar.

3) Watch What You Eat

An apple a day doesn’t keep the doctor away but it can help give you the energy and nutrition you need to stay active and healthy. Getting your daily dose of nutrients in your diet is crucial to your academic success and health because it is the fuel your body needs to keep you running and feeling like the energizer bunny. Yes, this does mean to forget about snacking on chips, cookies, and other scrumptious snacks that are so good to you but so bad for you because those are only going to make you feel slumped.

4) Take A Break

Taking a break never seems like an option but your brain will thank you for doing so. College students can spend hourslost in translation from reviewing their work and they tend to doze off without even realizing they are doing so. Spending too much time studying can exhaust your brain and, in turn, it will effect how you memorize important information. Don’t be afraid to treat your brain to a 30 minute break that you can spend either taking a power nap or snacking on something sweet and nutritious.

Taking care of yourself is key to succeeding. Getting to winter break may see like mission impossible (without Tom Cruise being around to help you) but keep your head up and high because you can do it. There are so many people out there who are cheering you on and want to see you do well.