Dear Fellow College Students,

The dreaded week is finally here. All the assignments, tests, and everything in between, have led up to this. The tireless semester, chock-full of sleepless nights, too many coffees to count, and occasional bouts of panic and stress, is finally coming to a close. You've learned all you could, but still feel ill-prepared. And unfortunately, the semester isn't like a movie, where the best part is at the end. No; instead, it is time to sleep even less, study even more, and hope for a final grade closer to A than Z in the alphabet. At this point, for some of this, an A—or even just a passing grade—seems unattainable. As you're reading this, you're most likely right in the middle of this miserable week having already taken a few of your finals, with more to come. You're probably overworked, overstressed, and over-everything. So, I am here to tell you exactly what you need to hear right now:

It is going to be okay.

Shocking, right?! I know the feeling of leaving a final, feeling like you just missed every question, and did right only by spelling your first and last name correctly on the scantron. It's the worst, I know. But the truth is, it is going to be okay. Regardless of if you ace every final this week, or don't do as well as you hoped, it is all going to be alright. When you find out how you did, it may feel like the end of the world. But trust me when I say, that it's only one finals week; one test, for one class. It is important to put things into perspective. Plus, it is true that college is all about trial and error. It's about doing something wrong, and learning from it so you don't do it again. It's a marathon, not a sprint. We cannot master every school subject, nor do everything in life as well as we wish we could. Take this as a learning experience, as all things in life should be.

Here's my advice: Study your heart out, so that when you arrive to take the test, you're confident. Get a full night's rest, and try not to put too much pressure on yourself to do well. Take time to relax, and give yourself breaks while studying. Breathe. Do your best when it is time to take an exam so that you leave knowing you put all you had out on the table. And just think, when this week is finally over and it's winter break, you won't care anyways! This, too, shall pass, with yummy holiday foods in our future. Good luck, and keep calm, my friends.

Sincerely,

A Fellow College Student