It's that time of year again... Finals week. College students from all around the world are about to embark on one of the most challenging, sleepless, tiresome week of the semester. As a second-year college student, I have experienced this week twice, and here is my advice for those of you who may be experiencing this for the first time.

Get plenty of sleep the week before. You may not think this will help, but trust me, it does. Any chance you may get between studying and classes, take a power nap. Also, be sure to get plenty of sleep each night. Studies show that sleep can be the most beneficial thing for you when you are studying because it helps your brain to focus more on the material and put it into memory. So, if you have the choice of staying up until 1 AM watching Netflix, or getting sleep, CHOOSE SLEEP! Because once finals week hits, there won't be much time for sleep.

Start studying the week (or 2 weeks) before. Trust me, this really does help. Growing up in high school, our teachers always told us "do not wait until the last minute to study!" and, let's be honest here, the majority of us did not listen. If you start studying about 2 weeks prior to your exam, there is enough time to take the information in chunks, rather than cramming everything in 2 days before. Give yourself enough time to study, so when finals week comes you have time to relax and not stress about all the tests you have to take.

Eat plenty of food. And when I say food, I mean actual food, not chips and soda with candy on the side. Eating fulfilling foods will not only keep you full longer but will keep you concentrated on studying longer. So no matter how good those chips and Dr. Pepper taste, try more filling foods. It really helps.

The most important advice I can give is to trust in yourself! You have been in this class for a whole semester, so you know the material. Take what you know and use it to help you with the material you may not feel the most comfortable with. The more you trust in yourself and your knowledge, the better you will do on the exam.

So, as you are preparing to take your finals, remember to always believe in yourself and push through the week. Once it's over you will be relieved and able to enjoy your 4 week break before the next semester!