Dreaded finals season is creeping up faster than ever, and it can be easy to become overwhelmed. Trust me, I know the feeling! As a sophomore, I have gone through finals not once but twice, and have learned my fair share of lessons when it comes to finals preparation. So here are a few tid bits of finals week advice from my own experience. Make sure that you make the most of finals so that finals don't get the best of you!

1. Get Started Now!

Want to avoid cramming at the last minute and having to pull all-nighters? Of course you do! That's why it is so important that you get started now instead of later. Finals may still be a few weeks out, but it is never too early to start organizing your notes from the semester and maybe start putting together a preliminary study guide. Familiarizing yourself with all the semester material now instead of a few nights before the exam will save you soooo much unnecessary stress. Trust me, I learned the hard way.

2. Get Organized!

As an extremely unorganized person myself, I get it: staying organized can be hard. But trust me, it will make all the difference if you can keep everything organized in the weeks leading up to finals. Keeping all of your notes, study guides, textbooks, flashcards, highlighters, etc. organized and easily accessible will make your life so much easier. Trust me.

3. Listen to Music!

Did you know that listening to music while studying is proven to help with concentration? Now, I'm not saying that you should blast your favorite Justin Bieber song to the point where you're getting distracted, but some nice relaxing music in the background can help you get focused! Some people enjoy listening to classical music in order to get their brain flowing. For me, some nice relaxing Gregory Alan Isakov or Jack Johnson seems to do the trick!

4. Split Up Subjects!

Trying to study physical anthropology for five hours straight will make you want to pull your hair out. Instead of trying to cram in one whole subject in a day to the point where you are brain dead, switch it up a little! Try spending an hour and a half on one subject, take a short break, then move on to a different subject!

5. Take Breaks!

Take a break! You deserve it! But be sure to make your breaks productive. Go to the gym and get your blood pumping! Get some fresh air and go take a walk! Blast some music and dance! Getting your body moving will give you more energy to take on your next task as you sit down to study again.

6. Do not watch Netflix

Whatever you choose to do one your break....do not watch Netflix. As tempting as it is, just don't do it. Sure, you may tell yourself that you'll only watch one episode, but soon that episode ends and you're tempted to watch another....and another....and another. Before you know it, you've wasted a few hours and watched an entire season of "The Office" (yes, this actually happened to me).

7. Get Out of Your Room!

Sitting cramped in your room for hours on end can be exhausting in itself, let alone distracting! I personally find it helpful to go to the library or a coffee shop when I study. When I'm in an environment where other people are focused and studying as well, I almost feel guilty if I spend all my time on my phone or on Facebook. It forces me to focus!

8. Hang With Friends!

Plan to take an evening off from studying to spend time with friends...you deserve it! Go out for ice cream, go to the movies, whatever you want! In my own experience, spending time with friends and not worrying about finals is a huge stress reliever. It gives me renewed energy to take on more studying the next day!

9. Make a Plan and Stick to It

Allot a certain amount of time per day that you want to spend studying. Make a daily goal of what you specifically want to get done each day and make it happen! Having a schedule to follow splits up all of your studying into daily tasks and makes your workload seem much more manageable!

10. Sleep!

After a while, there is only so much studying you can do. If you feel like you have prepared as much as you can, do yourself a favor and get a good night's sleep! You'll thank yourself in the morning.

Follow these guidelines and you will be well prepared going into finals week. Good luck, and may the odds be ever in your favor!!