By Nicole Henry, Contributing Writer

            It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and I am not talking about Christmas. I am talking about the lovely DEAD WEEK and finals week. Obviously, that was a huge joke because there is nothing lovely at all about that week. They say the reason for the name “Dead Week” comes from the campus being vacant of activity for a week, but I think it is called Dead Week because students are literally dying emotionally and physically. Oh, and just when you got over Dead Week, finals week is shortly behind. There is no way out. These last two weeks can be horrifying, but here are some tips to help you survive:

1. Plan ahead- I know you have heard this time and time again, but this time actually do it. Planning ahead will lessen stress, and give more time to work on projects and papers. It’s not too late (or too early) to start studying for your finals!
2. Sleep- What, I should sleep? Yes, get plenty of rest. I bet this is music to your ears. And when I say sleep, I don’t mean sleep while you have a five-page paper due the next day. What I mean is, every night. Make sure you get your eight hours of sleep so you can be ready to take on the next day. There is nothing like doing projects and assignments while you’re half sleep. It is HORRIBLE. Do not do that to yourself.
3. Make a study group- If you have five finals, make a study group for each one. This will help with learning the material and help with anxiety. Sometimes sitting alone studying can make you anxious and causes you to over-think. With a study group, you get a chance to converse with peers and relax while studying. Also with a group, you get the chance to teach each other. By doing so, you actually learn more.
4. Take a break- I know it sounds crazy to sleep and take a break, but trust me it works. Especially if you are writing a paper, it is best to go away for a little and come back to it. This will help with generating more ideas and more things to write in your paper. This also goes for studying for an exam. Taking an hour or two away from studying helps the brain process everything that you are trying to feed it.
5. Just Relax- I know it sounds like a simple thing to do, but for us college students, it is really hard. When there are three projects to do and four exams to study for, relaxing seems like the very last thing on your mind. Even with all of the chaos, it helps. Freaking out does nothing more than add more stress to stress that is already there. If you have to pull an all-nighter (which you shouldn’t if you follow these tips), just take a deep breath and accept that you will get zero sleep that night. Going crazy about everything you have to do just takes time away from doing what have to do.