It's that time. people. It’s happening: finals. The time of year we all dread, when suddenly school matters, and you’re dipped into a deep depression after realizing your grades are no where near you wanted them to be. Wait, is that just me? OK, well, that’s fine too.

For those of you who are with me on this Titanic of a sinking ship, we can suffer together through these next few weeks. Maybe, just maybe, a blessing of extra credit will come our way or perhaps a canceled class or two where you can just absorb those 50 minutes of bliss until the next bus of school work comes whizzing down the street and bang, you’re panicking once again. Hopefully, to stave off some of your anxieties and spiraling fear that not doing well on one final will end in your living in a cardboard box on 16^th and Wisconsin for the rest of your life, here are a few things to keep in mind:

It’s just finals.

I see all of you overachievers and over-worriers. I get where you’re coming from. I’ve had the fear of failing out and becoming a stripper—there’s nothing wrong with that. But that being said, it’s only finals. Finals ultimately do not determine if you fail out of college. In fact, they rarely have enough impact to lower you a letter grade at the end of the day. As much fear and stress that surround the week of finals, they really don’t matter as much as we think they do.

Take time for yourself.

You’re not supposed to study yourself to death—it’s not a good way to die. Multiple studies have shown that studying for hours upon hours does nothing but give you a headache and really doesn’t help you retain the information that you’ve been trying so hard to learn. Remember to take time to do the little things that you enjoy, even in the weeks leading up to finals. Go get some tacos, get your nails done, have a beer; do something for yourself as a reward for reading those two pages of that book that was actually supposed to be read over a month ago.

Do something to de-stress.

This is very important. The weeks leading up to finals are a peak for anyone that suffers even the most minimum amount of anxiety. Like I’ve stated before; everyone has anxieties and this is the best time to acknowledge it is now. Make sure you’re doing things to de-stress so you can get the optimal results from the time that you spend studying. Working out is a great way to release some endorphins and get the jitters out. Anything from going on a walk to Colectivo or lifting weights can bring the stress hormones down and the happy hormones up. Yoga is also a wonderful way to get yourself in a good place to study as it calms you down and makes you focus on yourself for an hour.

These are just a few things that you absolutely have to keep in mind the next few weeks. Be nice to yourself! You’re working so hard! Remember that you’re in this school for a reason and you 100 percent deserve it. Keep those positive vibes strong during finals and good luck!