Finals week is upon us (which means summer is right around the corner!) and most of us would probably lose our heads if they weren’t attached. To make life a little easier, I’ve devised a foolproof guide to surviving a crazy week. Enjoy!

Eat Breakfast!

Everyone thinks breakfast is okay to skip. News flash: it’s not! Along with 75 other reasons why, just know that finals + hangry (hungry and angry) students is not a good combo. Be sure to grab a GOOD breakfast too… Poptarts and granola bars don’t count. A good breakfast should have protein and healthy fats. My go-to breakfast consists of two eggs, over easy, half of an avocado, and a piece of fruit. This adds about 15 minutes to my morning routine but it pays off for the whole day!

Pack Snacks or Small Meals

If you’re anything like me, you get hungry about every 3-4 hours. In case you’re not home for lunch or dinner, pack a snack to hold you over. Good snack choices include anything without added sugars, to prevent a crash later on. My favorites? Fresh fruit, a small salad, almonds or granola. All of these items fit conveniently in a small tupperware container.

Stay Organized

My biggest tip for you all (if you haven’t already) GO BUY A PLANNER. The human brain simply cannot handle being a college student without writing everything down. Student Org meetings, finals, group projects, deadlines, rough draft due dates, portfolio submissions, office hours, the list goes on and on. Write everything down in one place and you’re set for the week. Make sure to check where you’re at throughout the day so you can plan for what you need to accomplish. To-do lists are also much needed and amazing, you can do it old-school on a piece of paper (maybe in your planner) or you can find great apps like Wunderlist (and if you write down tasks you’ve already completed, just so you can cross them off, I won’t judge you. I do it too.)

Drink!

Anything but alcohol… no matter how tempting. Be sure to carry around a water bottle and fill it up repeatedly at any of the refill stations around campus. If you’re feeling adventurous, slice up a lemon at the beginning of the day. As you refill your water bottle, the fresh & lemony taste will help to keep your immune system up and absorb vitamins throughout your body.

If you’re a tea or coffee person like myself, grab a to-go cup from one of the cafes on campus. If you choose coffee, try to select something without extra sugars or cream. There are also a variety of tea choices when purchasing from Willie’s in the UC. Click here to read about the benefits of tea.

Sleep

I know you think staying up until 3:00 am is the way to go the night before your big exam. Well, it’s not. If you stay organized, you can plan out your study time effectively and still have time to catch some ZZZs at a decent hour. Your brain NEEDS sleep, and for the sake of everyone else too…

Relax

As hard as it may be to just take a few moments to yourself during the most stressful week of the semester, it’s a must. Whether you watch one (or three) episodes of the show you’ve been binge watching, you attend a yoga class, or simply close your eyes for five minutes, it’s important to take a time out, every once in awhile.

Have FUN

Crazy, right? Fun during finals? But hey- you’re only this young once. Enjoy the last few days with friends, spend some quality time with your roomies, ask that someone you’ve had your eye on all semester to grab some ice cream. We’re all only human, and we’re all doing the best we can. So, enjoy what’s left of these crazy days because one day, you’ll be wishing you were right back here.