College is generally full of stressful situations and learning experiences. Finals week is no exception. As finals, deadlines and projects loom over students, study tactics have to adapt to fit the environment. While last semester’s all-nighters may have seemed like a last minute success, there are much better ways to prepare and survive finals week to maintain sanity and mental health. Here are a few tips on how to not only survive, but thrive during finals week.

Tip #1: Make a checklist. Ideally this should be done four weeks in advance so you can plan out what needs the most attention and what can be saved for later. If you’re in a crunch and have procrastinated, this can be done a week or even a few days in advance. Plan out your days and dedicate a few hours each day to writing part of a paper, studying for one specific final or working on parts of a project. Plan out each day and allow time for breaks, naps and time to relax.

Tip #2: Break it down. Instead of working all night on one assignment, break the assignment up into chunks. Divide and conquer parts of the assignment every day to avoid burning out or running out of fuel at the last minute. This also helps alleviate the stress of having to finish an assignment in one part. By the time it is due, the major portion of the work will be done, and all you will need to do is add final touches.

Tip # 3: Apply the Pomodoro technique. Set a timer for 25 minutes and focus solely on the task in front of you. Free write, solve equations, research, do whatever needs to be done, and only do that for 25 minutes straight. Set your phone on airplane mode, log out of all your social media accounts and close all other tabs to dedicate 25 minutes to one task. When the 25 minutes are up, take a five minute break. Walk around, grab a snack or just close your eyes and lay your head down. Repeat and take a longer 10 minute break every 90 minutes. This way you can be productive longer over time and have short breaks in between to keep you refreshed and focused. However, don’t stare at your computer screen for your break and go off on a Twitter tangent.

Tip #4: Schedule breaks. By specifically putting aside time to relax, you can avoid exerting all your energy one night and being a zombie the entire next day. Take a 30 minute nap, or go to the gym for a study break. Even treat yourself to a frozen yogurt.

Tip #5: Eat, sleep, repeat! Pulling all-nighters can seem convenient, but getting enough sleep is vital to surviving finals week. When we get enough sleep our minds rest and recharge, retain information better, and we are more alert for the problems that are in front of us. Instead of staying up all night, try going to bed earlier and waking up earlier to work on assignments and study instead. Eating properly during finals week is also vital. While Red Bull and pizza rolls seem like a delicious midnight meal, eating smaller, more frequent meals keeps us energized and fuller longer. Take an extra precaution to eat better during finals week because if you feel good on the inside, you’ll feel ready to conquer everything on the outside.

Additionally, students can head over to the first floor of the Thompson Commons all week for stress less week. Activities include pet therapy, massage therapy, coloring pages, games and more. Activities run daily from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.