The most stressful time of the year has come again: Finals Week. Many students spend weeks preparing while others cram in everything they can at the last minute. So, to ace those finals, or at least pass them, students just need to follow a few easy tips.

Study
The most obvious tip is to make sure to find a balance between under-studying and over-studying. Decide how much you need to review for each class, and set aside enough time each day to study. Always re-read notes, go in before school, lunch, or after school to get help from teachers, and if you are lucky enough to have a teacher who gives out final reviews, then make sure to finish the material and completely understand it. Also, studying with a friend can be a big help, especially if you both have different strengths and weaknesses in the class. Just make sure your study buddy doesn’t become a distraction.

Relax
Students who stress about getting an A on their final send themselves into a mental breakdown. Always remember that finals are important, but staying up until 2 a.m. every night for a week to study for the finals is completely unnecessary. Everybody should just take it easy because with all this lack of sleep and energy, it is doubtful that students will have enough brain power to ace their finals.

Get Some Sleep
The night before finals might leave you tossing and turning but try your hardest to get some sleep. Students should NOT be staying up for late night study sessions! The best thing you can do is get your mind off the test and get a good night’s sleep followed by a healthy breakfast in the morning to get blood flowing through your brain.

During the Test
When the day finally comes and you’re handed the test, just relax. Take a few deep breaths and remember to always trust your first instinct. Pace yourself, most teachers won’t give you more than two hours to complete the final. For multiple choice tests, eliminate answers you know are wrong. For essays, focus more on what you are trying to say rather than “making it sound good.” If you finish early, double check your answers. Hand in the test and breathe a sigh of relief because you’re done.

Finals week is right around the corner and by following these tips, students can get just a little closer to obtaining the A they have been working hard for. Remember to be on time to class and NEVER cheat. Also, there is not any school on Monday or Friday and the schedule for finals week is: periods one and three on Tuesday, periods two and four on Wednesday, and periods five and six on Thursday.

Good luck!