It's the Final Countdown

Ahhh, finals week, it's nice to see you again. NOT.

Procrastination is my middle name, which makes finals week ten times harder for me than my type-A counterparts, leaving me scrambling to finish last-minute assignment and cram. But it's not just me...everyone turns into a psycho during finals week. We all walk around campus with a venti Starbucks cup in our hands, black circles underneath our bloodshot eyes, and the same clothes that we wore to bed on the night before. Sounds familiar?

Everyone has their own different methods of enduring this madness, including myself. I just thought I would share some with you...

• Pray- Yes, pray! Many college student find themselves on their knees praying during finals week. Praying that the coffee will kick in just before your 8 a.m. exam, praying that your mundane effort on the final exam will result in at LEAST a C...all jokes aside, yes, PRAY during exams. God is always there to help you in any way possible, even in exams. Some people seem to think that God is only concerned with the "big stuff," like ending world hunger and curing illnesses, but God is concerned with other areas of our well-being, even if it's something as mundane as passing an exam.
• Reward yourself- A lot of people reward themselves by sleeping for the next three days after finals week, but reward yourself DURING the process. Bribe yourself; for every two pages you complete on your final essay, allow yourself fifteen minutes of Facebook time. Or, reward yourself with one episode of your favorite T.V. show on Netflix (Netflix and finals week go hand-in-hand). It'll break up the monotony AND give yourself incentives to do well, and more importantly, finish your work.
• Listen to music- For some people who need absolute peace and quiet while studying, this is one piece of advice that you can forego. If you're like me, you need a little sound for inspiration. I've been listening to America for the past three days straight while doing homework. Think of your favorite artists as friends keeping you company as you slave over your books.
• Understand that it's okay to cry- I used to cry over my homework in high school. HA HA HA. Boy, was I in a biiiiig surprise when I enrolled into college. It's not that the work is harder, it's just more overwhelming. Remember those easy foul-proof exams of yesteryear? Those days are gone...for the most part. Some professors will actually GIVE you the answers to the test, but if you're not that fortunate and you feel overly-stressed, go ahead and put on "Wind Beneath My Wings" and let yourself have a good cry. 
• Indulge- Finals week is the most stressful time of the semester. So, go ahead- eat some of Grandma's famous chocolate chip cookies as you cram. Get Chinese takeout before you meet with your study group. You're not going to be any happier if you deny yourself a treat. Besides, who has time for cooking a well-balanced meal when you have to study for five classes? You have the rest of winter break to burn it off (after Christmas, of course). And here's another tip- don't feel guilty.

Those are my top tips for surviving finals week that I've accumulated over the past five semesters of horror. Good luck to all of you college kiddos on finals week! Just think...there WILL come a day when we won't have to suffer any longer!