"Welcome back to class!!!" - said no one ever, coming back from Thanksgiving break.

It's been 9 days of food, family, football and political debates that make you want to do something you'd (probably) regret. Alas, here we are. The final push before finals start. The end is so close yet...no wait...its a week and a half away....it's close, y'all.

As a veteran student, I know full well what the week before finals is like. Distractions, emotions and appetites alike are at an all time high. In order to get through finals week as best as possible,

Here's 10 things NOT to do the week before finals:

(In order of importance)

10. Nothing.

Doing nothing all week, or "checking-out early" is no way to use your time. Fill it with studying and coffee dates with friends before the chaos ensues.

9. Over-eat.

Stress eaters, this one goes double for you. When things are uncertain, we tend to drift to food to make us feel better. Uh uh. Not this week. You need to nourish your body this week. 24/7 junk food is not only going to make you feel gross, it's not giving your mind the right kind of energy to prep.

8. Under-caffeinate.

This is NOT the week to back off coffee, teas, sodas, etc...Of course, everything in moderation, but you'll need those extra boosts this week. Save the hiatus for Christmas break.

7. Drink alcohol excessively.

This one should be a given but, DO NOT DRINK TO EXCESS THIS WEEK. Tuesday night before finals is a terrible night to pick to get schwasted. Save the celebration after you've passed all your classes and finals!

6. Use Dead Day to "recover".

This goes hand-in-hand with #7 but don't waste an ENTIRE DAY given to study and prepare to recover from your choices the night before. There's a reason universities give "Dead Days". "Dead Day" means giving you extra time to really prepare for exams not to become "dead" from the previous night's activities.

5. Under-sleep.

Contrary to popular belief, this week is probably the most important "sleep week" of the semester. Not only are you studying your butt off and trying to finish up last minute papers and projects, you also still have classes to go to! Prioritize sleep. You'll thank yourself next week.

4. Stay cooped up all day.

It's not healthy or prosperous to stay shut in, by yourself, all day/night. As important as it is to prepare for tests, it's also important to have balance. Take a break or maybe bring your studies to a coffee shop, restaurant or friends house. Balance the hard work with less stress-inducing activities.

3. Forego activeness.

It's really easy to stay completely sedentary this week. I know. But make sure you're getting some sort of exercise. It doesn't have to be a 3 mile run or 1.5 hours lifting weights but, do something! If it's nice, ride a bike, take a walk (walks are greatly soothing, actually) or play some basketball. Just make sure you're moving and make Michelle Obama proud.

2. Not share emotions.

This can be an emotional week. We have all been there. It's important to not keep those emotions bottled up. If you're feeling scared, inadequate, anxious, etc...talk with someone. Call your mom. Text your roommate. Don't keep them inside. Do yourself a favor and keep those channels of communication WIDE OPEN this week. We all need a little extra love sometimes.

1. Start a new Netflix series.

Nope. NO. Don't even think about it. If you want to lose out on prime study time, look no further than N E T F L I X . C O M . (yeah that's right. I didn't even type the letters together, nor make it a hyperlink because you are NOT. GOING. THERE.). An episode or so of your current show is cool (make sure to monitor yourself) but we all know how deadly starting a new series and getting hooked can be. If you didn't start over Thanksgiving break, you've lost your opportunity until Christmas break.

Best of luck, friends, and as always,

Cheers

ZER