The end of the semester is approaching quickly and next thing you know, finals are among us. It’s time for all-nighters, gallons of coffee, and being buried in the books, right? Well it doesn’t have to be that way. Here are some tricks to make studying for finals a little less overwhelming:

1. Be organized and plan your study time.

Trying to cram all of your assignments and studying into one night is not going to do anything other than stress you out more. Make a schedule that lists out what classes you are going to study for that day and dedicate the amount of hours you want to spend on it so you have a plan of what to focus on for the day.

2. Create study guides.

As cliché as it sounds, study guides are a general outline of what you can expect to be on the test. By looking at it, you’ll have a better understanding of what to expect and what to focus on.

One way to get started is by looking at the lecture slides professors post on blackboard and writing down the key information. By writing things down, it helps us remember the important information that may appear on an exam.

3. Join or form a study group.

Study guides are great, but studying in groups is also a good way to help others out with exam material, plus they can help you out as well. Not only will you be able to help someone out, but by teaching someone else what you have learned, it shows you have mastered the material well. Just be sure not to get too distracted and to strictly focus on the study material.

4. Eat healthy.

Obviously fast food is quick, easy and not as expensive (perfect for a broke college student!), but it won’t last long in our system. When studying for long hours, our brains are going to get tired and need proper brain food to help us concentrate on the exam material. Fruits, nuts and even granola bars will help us focus better and your brain will thank you.

5. Sleep.

Even though all-nighters seem like the best option the night before a final to cram everything in, studies show that those who get a good night’s rest receive better test scores than those who stay up all night.

6. Exercise.

At one point, being cooped up in your room or the library is going to get to you and leave you feeling overwhelmed. Be sure to take a break and release all that stress by taking a walk or hitting the gym. Exercising will produce endorphins which will generally make you feel better and reduce stress.

7. Don't procrastinate.

Even though we all say, “we can do this assignment later,” we’re going to regret it in the long run. While studying for finals isn't already stressful enough, putting off assignments until the last minute will make us feel overwhelmed and add extra unnecessary stress.

8. Lastly, relax!

Be sure not to stress too much, eat healthy food, get rest and study hard. Be sure to take care of yourself while studying for finals because you don’t want to end up getting sick on exam day!

Good luck on finals everyone!