As the semester comes to an end, all students dreadfully await the impending finals week. Finals week starts on Wednesday, December 18, 2019 and ends on Friday, December 20, 2019. For students who take a zero or seventh period, however, finals week begins right after the weekend on Monday December 16 and Tuesday December 17. 

Though the idea of taking tests that will determine the entire semester’s grade  may seem formidable, students can feel a little more at ease, as class times are cut short. Each day, only two finals are taken. School begins at the usual 8:00 A.M. and ends early, to the relief of many,  at 12:10 P.M. 

This week will certainly be full of stress and tension. When studying, though, students should remember to take breaks between study sessions and refrain from cramming the entire night before. According to a Psychology professor in St. Lawrence University, pulling all-nighters can “…impair reasoning and memory for as long as four days.” Instead, students should try their best to spread out the studying over a duration of several days. Also, according to a sleep and health research lab at the University of North Texas, reviewing the toughest material right before going to bed makes it easier to remember the information the next day. The use of  mnemonics can help remember harder topics and websites such as www.quizlet.com may become very useful for practice and mini tests. 

Most important of all, though, students should definitely not neglect self care during this intense week. Receiving enough sleep is crucial and having a well-balanced breakfast will also better allow students to succeed.