As we approach the end of the semester (and the beginning of finals week), many students begin to grow weary; can we finish strong? Can we even finish at all? The answer, though it may not seem like it now, is always yes. You can finish. And you will.

Here are some tips on how to mentally (and physically) prepare yourself for finals week.

Make sure to set aside time before finals week to study.

I know it sucks to have to do work for finals before finals week even arrives, but if you do prep work before your exams, you will be thankful that you did. Organize your notes so that they are more easily understood when it comes time for study period; highlight any sources for your final papers, and outline those; and create a study schedule that will enable you to actually finish all of your work on time. Also, set up a study schedule that lets you take breaks. The pomodoro method works great!

Eat healthy!

During finals week, your brain needs to be in maximum overdrive, and in order to do so, it cannot be made to run entirely on pizza and popcorn. Eat some fruit, if you remember what that is? Maybe some vegetables? Also, CARBS! Your body runs better when supplied with carbohydrates. Bagels, pasta, breadsticks, you name it; if it has carbs, you should eat it. No pizza, though, please.

Learn how to deal with procrastination.

Procrastination is something that every college student has to deal with. It's really hard to get over, and it likely cannot be dealt with in the little time we have before finals week, but it can be managed. Put your phone on airplane mode. Use an app blocker on your computer so that distraction sites are blocked for a certain amount of time. Set a rewards system up for yourself: every time you complete a task without getting distracted, you are rewarded, but if you allow yourself to stop working, you get something taken away, such as use of your favorite social media website.

Make a study playlist full of all of your favorite songs.

Studying is so much easier when you have the soundtrack of your semester playing in your ears. I recommend 8tracks to find a studying playlist, or you can use Spotify to create your very own! Personally, I enjoy a mixture of soft, indie music and instrumentals, usually from movies. I also enjoy taking dance breaks so I don't go insane from all the work I have to do.

Try not to pull all-nighters, if they're avoidable.

It's not healthy for your brain or your body to stay up really late every single night. If doable, it's better to go to bed early and get up earlier than normal in order to get work done rather than to stay up past one o'clock in the morning every night for a week straight. You are far more likely to retain information if you don't stay up late to study it.

Also, GET ENOUGH SLEEP.

I honestly cannot emphasis enough how important a good night's sleep is to performing well academically. Your brain actually cannot focus if you haven't gotten enough rest, whether it be to study or to actually take your final. I like sleepti.me, which calculates how much sleep you need and when you need to go to bed in order to get up on time and feel rested. If you're still tired after you've been awake for a while, wash your face and drink water!

And avoid drinking caffeine in place of sleep.

One cup of coffee every day as a treat (and to make sure you don't fall asleep during your morning classes) is fine, but caffeine can be really damaging if used to replace sleep. Make sure you're not having more than one cup a day, and that you're not drinking caffeine later than three in the afternoon. If you want coffee after that, maybe try decaf?

Don't study in your room!

It's been proven that you shouldn't study where you sleep. Your bed might be a good place to watch TV, snack, or read a book, but when it comes to writing papers and doing homework, you're better off just taking yourself to the library.

Cut yourself some slack.

Don't be hard on yourself. This week is stressful for everyone, and it's not like finals week has actually ever killed anyone. Accept that you're not going to know absolutely everything, and remember that your grades don't define you. You're gonna crush it.

We've all got this! You've made it through at least one other finals week; this one won't be any different. Stay focused, and it'll be over before you know it!