Coming out of finals with unexpected flying colors, here's a few things everyone should learn after the final week of the semester.

Never think you have that final all figured out in your head.

Because you simply won’t. For the following reasons:

- Memorizing an entire essay outline while you have four other finals to worry about ain't easy.

- Trying to study for more than one exam at a time while focusing on other obligations isn't so hot either.

- You're more than likely to end up doing all that in 3 in the morning where your level of focus is more than likely in the negative levels.

What few people understand is that the more things are planned out in your head, the more prone those plans could be changed on the fly or forgotten. Word of advice: write down everything you need to do. But for next semester, plan to take the next piece of advice to heart:

Prepare at least a month in advance. And learn to make it habit to work little by little every single day.

What sounds better: rushing to finish the largest chunk of studying/working the few nights before the due date, or doing it in tidbits at your own pace for weeks prior to finals week?

While it's tedious to do a prepare for a final that you really don't wanna do, you're better off starting it with a whole lot time left, rather than a few days. It'll take off pressure from finishing what you have to do and as a result, you’ll end up getting a much better grade on the final.

Trust me. A huge load on your shoulders will be saved when you make a mistake on the essay or have a whole other chapter to study, but see you still have a month left to worry about it.

The earlier you have a final due, the better.

Sounds contradictory right?

Well it does, but you won’t be too keen on asking questions when you realize finals week is halfway over and you only have one test left. So be grateful next time when you see a bunch of deadlines real early in finals week.

9 times out of 10, you probably did better than you thought on that final.

Believe it or not, most professors understand what students are going through during finals. It’s the end of a semester, the finals-itis is kicking into overdrive for most students, a lot of important things are due, and even they’re feeling the slack. This especially applies to essays, as professors require the extra effort to read and check every single essay from their students.

What also tends to happen is that everyone underestimates how they’ve done on final assignments, as the effort put into them kind of escape our minds after we’ve submitted them.

So that essay or test you think you bombed on and think you got a C in? More than likely your professor’ll cut the slack or you underestimating your abilities and you got a nice B+ on it.

Finally, once it's all done, be 110% sure to make the MOST of your break.

Many say that they have so much plans for break, but they come back in September/January saying that they barely did anything but sleep and eat. Make it a goal this break to not be one of those people.

Go out and write that story, go on that trip to the city, hang out with some old friends online, kick ass in that summer job. Make this break the most exciting time you’ve ever had prior to coming back to school next semester.