Thanksgiving break is officially over, and let's be real - your backpack stayed zipped up neatly perched against your bedroom wall the whole week. Maybe you worked all of break and really didn't have the time to work on all your projects and papers. Or maybe you binge-watched a season or three (or series) of a show on Netflix and ate way too many cookies. If you're like me, then you did both. But as the end of break was in sight, I opened up my planner and realized that I might not make it through finals week. Especially pre-finals week (yes, it's a real thing).
I'm here to tell you that you can do this. You can get through the dreadful couple weeks leading up to all those presentations and cumulative exams. Here's how:
You're going to need a lot of coffee.
If you're like 99.8% of college students, you saved the majority (or all) of your finals stuff for these next few weeks. This means to get it all accomplished, you're not going to sleep much. I'm going to be honest here: coffee is going to be your best friend. Everywhere I go I'm thinking of ways I can get coffee. This might be considered a developing addiction, but hey, it's college, and we do what we can to survive. And if you're doing it right, you'll have the energy to do this after you hit the turn-in button to that essay at 11:59.
And when that coffee starts wearing off, you're going to need a nap.
I probably find the time once or twice a semester to take a nap, but during finals week power naps are going to help you stay awake when you're not on that caffeine high. I remember one time a 15 minute nap nearly saved my life after I spent all night writing a research paper that was due the next day. So if you have 10 minutes or 4 hours free in your day and you feel like you can't keep your eyes open any longer, take a nap - wherever you are - and don't even feel bad about it.
Since finals aren't quite here, you have a little time to set aside for a peaceful bubble bath.
Honestly, this is something I usually don't have time for. It's kind of a lot of work, but I promise it's always worth it in the end. A hot bath + bubbles + bath salts + tealight candles + Netflix on an iPad + tea = complete serenity. You won't even care that you have a 20-page paper due tomorrow afternoon because life is beautiful when you're surrounded with lavender-scented bubbles.
You should probably keep a little travel Kleenex with you at all times because... stress.
You've been in the library for the past five hours and you're tired of staring at Word, so instead you stare at your planner. The more you look at all the due dates and little presentation stickers on every other day, the more you start to feel the tears coming. It's okay. Just cry. In a few weeks, you'll be eating Christmas cookies and laying on your couch without a care in the world.
And lastly, you're going to need a lot of hope. Chocolate can help with that.
It's rough right now, I know, but hold onto that little piece of hope found deep within you that all of this will be over in a few weeks. Remember before college December was like the best month ever because Christmas and presents and happiness? It can still be that way. Just finish up those essays and read those study guides and eat or drink chocolate in any form because all this stress is almost over and you get to be done with college for a month!
So go get your grandé hazelnut peppermint iced mocha or whatever your heart desires at your little on-campus Starbucks and get to work. Because we have lots to accomplish in these next couple weeks and then... WE'RE FREE!
