Thanksgiving is officially over, so you know what that means: Professors start dumping a bunch of work on us, essays and reports are due, you see people have mental breakdowns in the middle of libraries, holiday commercials start airing between your Spotify songs (you're too broke to buy premium, lol), the weather starts getting colder, etc.

Finals season is coming.

Finals can be so stressful. It's basically every college student's bane of existence. It doesn't have to be HORRIBLE, though! With a few tips and tricks, you can get through final season stress-free and enjoy the holidays with your family without anxiety weighing you down.

1. START NOW

I know that it does seem far away, but 2-3 weeks can fly by so quickly. It's best if you just start preparing now, even if it's a little bit a day. That means once a day (or night), set aside an hour or so to review your notes and powerpoints for classes that are content-heavy. Sure, you studied this stuff three months ago and you had it then... but your brain has absorbed so much information within those three months, that it's likely it forgot everything you "knew" before. Trust me, starting early will be your saving grace. Which brings me to my next tip:

2. DO NOT CRAM

You've crammed your entire life; crammed your legs into jeans that were too tight (but that you couldn't give up), crammed one more slice of pie into your stomach on Thanksgiving, crammed your books into your backpack, crammed in one more episode of "Friends," even though it's 4 a.m. and you have an 8:00 class. We've all done it. But it's time for that to stop, especially for finals season. You may think that learning a whole semester's worth of material in one night will help you for your exam the next day, but trust me, it's NOT. If anything, it's more harmful than good.

3. PUT YOUR PHONE AWAY

I honestly can't remember the last time I studied with my phone right next to me. Or, if it was, it was on do not disturb. I'm telling you guys, even if you think you have a lot of self-control, you don't. I've seen people literally do a few line of notes, and then pick up their phone and scroll down social media for thirty minutes. Admit it: you're addicted. And even if you're not, it's still better to have your phone away from you anyway. It avoids any type of distractions you may encounter while studying.

4. WORK IN SMALL INCREMENTS (aka. TAKE BREAKS)

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this one because it's so true. Last final season, I literally used to go HOURS with just studying and I felt so exhausted afterward that I could only sleep. It's important to take breaks while you study, to recharge your brain. THIS would be a good time to go on social media (only for a few minutes), read that article you saw earlier, or text your friends and family back. A study/vlog YouTuber actually introduced me to this method, and it has made all the difference. It's called the Pomodoro Method. Basically, you go HAM with studying for 25 minutes and then take a five-minute break in between each 25-minute period. It helps your brain stay active and keeps you from getting too tired easily.

5. TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF (EAT, SLEEP, ETC.)

Y'all.... this one is so important. I wasn't joking when I said people have breakdowns in libraries. The stress is REAL. That's why you need to make sure you're taking care of yourself. I don't care if you've studied for five hours and you still don't know anything (i'm looking at all you people taking Organic Chemistry right now, God's speed). Honestly, if you don't know anything after five hours, that's a problem within itself and you're not studying effectively (I should do another article about that soon).

But seriously, make sure you're keeping up with your hygiene, make sure you're eating, and make sure you're SLEEPING. Sleep is SO important, and I feel like people are so pressed to get stuff done that they just forget to sleep. Also: DON'T PULL ALL-NIGHTERS. Trust me, you're better off just going to sleep without knowing anything, rather than trying to cram a whole semester's worth of information in one night.

6. TALK TO PEOPLE

This one kind of goes along with #5. Don't be an antisocial person during finals time. It doesn't have to be work 24/7, like jeez, cut yourself some slack. Go out with your friends and party (but not too hard), call your mom and have an hour-long conversation, go see your boyfriend and have lunch with him. Literally, anything to take your mind off of studying. Sometimes, people don't get stressed with the amount of work they have to do, but with how much time they're putting into things. Work smarter, not harder. Be sociable! Your books aren't your only friends during that stressful season.

7. KNOW WHAT'S BEST FOR YOU

Only you know what study methods are best for you and which aren't. If you can only study at the library, pack some snacks and your chargers, and go to the library. If you can't study with music, why did you bring your headphones? If you can't study around people, go isolate yourself for a while. Everyone has their own study methods so what works for someone might not necessarily work great for you. It's fine to dabble here and there and experiment with new things, but in the end, only you know what you have to do to be successful.

8. THINK ABOUT WINTER BREAK

This one is what always motivates me to work harder and push through finals. Just think about having a whole month of just relaxing: no school, no work, just you, your laptop, and hours upon hours of Netflix and free food at home. I love winter break because I get to see my family, see my old teachers, see my friends, etc. But most of all, I love it because it's a well-deserved break from how much I worked for finals. Winter break is your congratulations saying, "hey, I made it through finals, and I'm alive!"