Whether you are a high school or college student, the time before finals can be particularly stressful. Everyone has work, assignments, tests, and other things going on while finals are looming ahead of us. It can be overwhelming to do everything at once so here is a list of things that have proven to be helpful for me.

1. Plan Ahead

I am the kind of person that always makes schedules or lists. It helps me stay organized, and I enjoy crossing off items I have completed. Making a schedule can be extra helpful for finals. Plan out what you will study when, and for how long. Prioritize which classes are the most important, and what you need extra time studying. This tip can help eliminate procrastination and make you less stressed.

2. Try Not To Procrastinate

With that being said, some students do in fact excel under procrastination. Some of my friends do their best work under a time crunch. If you are like me, and procrastinating just makes you more stressed than necessary, do not do it. Do not keep pushing things off so you can binge-watch Netflix, or hang out with friends. If you prioritize your time you can still have time for other things you enjoy, without doing all your studying at the last minute.

3. Finish Regular Assignments First

As easy as it is to push them off, your life will be so much easier if you get your end of the year assignments done ahead of time. A lot of people will have assignments, papers, presentations, and tests due right before, or possibly even during finals. Having to do these assignments and study for finals at the same time will make you more stressed and give you less time to study.

4. Break Up Studying

Studying too much can be bad too. Staring at the same screen on your laptop for hours at a time is not good for anyone. I have found that if I have been studying for hours on end, I start to not take in the information I am looking at. I took a friend’s advice once and broke up studying with small breaks. For example, I did work for about two hours, and then I watched one half-hour episode of Netflix, and repeat. This can be a good study strategy to try, and the amount of time spent studying and the amount of break time can be modified.

5. Do Not Skip Out On Sleeping

Some people can study all night and I simply do not know how they do it. If I do not get a certain amount of sleep, I cannot function right the next day. Getting an adequate amount of sleep will keep you refreshed to study. Also, sleeping can help process all the information you studied beforehand.

6. Find The Right Place To Study

Find the place to study that will keep you focused. The library, going outside, or even studying in your room all have their benefits. What works for one person may not work for another. It can also be a good idea to study in more than one place if you get agitated by being in the same spot for hours. Also, decide if you can study when around friends, or if having your friends there will be too distracting.

7. Set Aside A Night For Friends

If it is possible, try to plan one night for you and your friends to take a break from studying and hang out. Do whatever it is that will give your mind a break and help you de-stress.