I came to college prepared for a new type of academic regime, one where finals reigned supreme and one penultimate test dictated half of my grade in the class. High school teachers consistently warned me that cramming wouldn't fly in college, not when finals were liable to draw from anything you've ever learned at any point in the semester, not when finals were the difference between an A and an F.

And then I got to college, only to find out that my whole life has been a lie. Between this semester and last one, I haven't had a single sit-down, in-class, all-semester-covering final that my high school teachers cautioned was coming. I've had take-home finals. I've had essays. But mostly...I've had projects.

Ah yes, the final project. While projects definitely have their upsides when compared to tests, they can be just as stressful, especially when you have five huge projects all due at the end of the semester. So here are some tips for handling them, because final-test-takers aren't the only people who should get cheat sheets and helpful hints:

1. Don't panic

Like any other emergency situation, this one requires that you remain calm. Of course, remaining calm is a lot easier said than done. I feel you, believe me. It's all too easy to size up the amount of work ahead of you and preemptively deem the situation hopeless. BUT DO NOT ABORT MISSION! (Mainly for the sake of your grades.) Instead, stop, drop, and roll. Seriously. Do some yoga, roll out your muscles, whatever. Take some deep breaths. Remaining calm is of the essence.

2. Don't procrastinate

At the same time, don't remain, like, too calm, you know? Don't be nonchalantly calm in a way that convinces yourself that no matter what, you'll be fine (because if you don't actually put in at least some time and effort, you won't be). Before you know it, you'll find yourself way, way behind schedule, and then suddenly it's the night before your projects are due and you're finding it a lot harder to follow Rule Numero Uno. At that point, I don't even know if you should—panicking seems pretty appropriate.

3. Plan it out

The first thing you need to do is write out all your exact deadlines and expectations. For example, if you're expected to turn in your project piece by piece, present it in different stages, or produce a rough draft ahead of the final version, write down all these deadlines as well. Make sure you know exactly what is due when.

4. Break it down

If you don't have mini-deadlines like the ones listed above, schedule some for yourself. Let's be real, it's a lot easier to procrastinate when all you know is that you have a video due in a month. But if you know you have a script due one week, recordings due the week after, a rough cut due the week after, and so on, you're a lot less likely to veer off the path.

It's important that you set specific dates with specific accomplishments and hold yourself to these deadlines. You'll be glad you did once the final deadline veers closer and your classmates are just now realizing that it's physically impossible to draft, shoot, and edit a video (that will get an A) in a single week.

5. Get to work

The most obvious, the most important, and the most underrated step. After all, no one's going to do the work for you. Unlike test-taking, where the most work that goes into it (other than the vast amounts of brainpower) is turning the page while studying and bubbling in the answer, projects can require a lot of elbow grease, whether it's scheduling interviews, creating a website, or paper-macheing a masterpiece. Above all, just start doing the work—something is always better than nothing.

So if you're facing down final projects as opposed to final tests, be consoled knowing that while it may seem daunting, it isn't impossible to handle several projects at once. And hey, maybe you'll finish early!