Congratulations, you've made it this far in the semester. You passed midterms and survived the withdrawal deadline. Give yourself some positive reinforcement! What's left of the semester is less than what passed, and it isn't necessarily more difficult.

Don't scare yourself. The "finals" is a big scary word, so let's not think of it like that. All you're doing is what you've been doing since the start of the semester. Think of it as a game where you're leveling up, as you get better you're given more challenges. After all, it would get boring if you're doing the same level for months. Sure, you may have to memorize and remember a bigger chunk of information, but you have already been training for this the last three months!

I know that telling you not to get scared is not enough to convince you that what you're facing isn't scary. But it might be easier if you try to take it one step at a time. The mindset you hold is important for you to get yourself on the right track. A lot of the stress we go through is coming from our brain, that's not to say it is all in your head because it is not something to be taken lightly. It is a very real thing that you feel and everything you have to deal with. But if you tell yourself that the task ahead is not any different from what you already did and you can get through it, it will reduce a lot of the stress that will create barriers to your success. Now that you have a minute to breathe before the deadlines ahead, you can make your tasks a lot more manageable if you break down your assignments and create a schedule that you can handle. Don't try to cram everything in the last minute. Make sure that you're sticking to your plan and dividing the things you need to take care of in order of deadlines and importance.

It is true that if you act in a certain way, even if you're feigning it, you can become that way. A study conducted by Harvard Business School social psychologist Amy Cuddy, which she discussed in a 2012 TED talk, found that people who adopted a power stance actually affected the hormones in their body giving them a boost of confidence. The fact that that this simple change of posture had a tangible impact on one's attitude indicates that a simple change in our outlook can make a big difference in our success. Confidence in our ability or convincing ourselves that things aren't that difficult can help us overcome our fears and turn them into a force for success.

You're now on the right track to succeed. You know you can do it. You know it's not that much harder than what you've already been doing. The next step is to execute your plan. Remember that we said earlier that you'll create a manageable schedule and break down your tasks? That's what you need to be doing. If you feel like you have been lagging behind, it's not too late to change your ways. Find out what worked for you and what didn't, stick to the former and abandon the latter. Be bold and take the steps you need to succeed. Don't forget to keep your head held up high and your confidence above that. But most of all know that you can do it!