By Alexa Faria
Staff Writer

As college students all over the country return to school after celebrating Thanksgiving, their thrown into an oven of their own; finals week.

With final examinations come exhausting hours of studying, cramming, writing, and the few hours of oblivion that one may experience from lack of sleep. During this time it is important to stay as healthy as possible.

While students feel the need to spend excessive amounts of time in the library, it is important to remember that sleep is extremely important for success.

Although one may feel like studying will be the most useful tactic for receiving an A, getting sufficient rest should actually be the main priority.

Studying is extremely important, however, there should be an equal balance of sleep and studying. If a student—anyone for that matter does—not receive an adequate amount of sleep, then they will be at a disadvantage.

Without sleep, an individual cannot retain information as well, so spending that extra two hours in the library cramming at late hours in the night is almost pointless.

During this final exam period it is also important to make sure one is eating enough and receiving proper self-care.

In order for one to be successful on your exams, remember to eat three meals a day and stay hydrated.

While these things seem tedious, people spend so many hours studying that things as simple as eating are often forgotten. In staying physically healthy, one will be better equipped for studying and achieving the results they would like.

In addition, there are other helpful activities to alleviate stress and to ensure success.

One activity that might be helpful is to find a place for alone time and to isolate oneself from the other students that are stressed out fto relax for a while. Stress is contagious in these situations so avoiding it may help out a bit.

Another useful activity is to take breaks during study sessions. It is actually beneficial to take breaks from studying to give your brain a time to relax.

One should use this time for thinking about things unrelated to one’s field of study. Distracting yourself with websites such as BuzzFeed can help.

Getting exercise is also important because it is good for not only your physical health but also  for your mental health. Even going for a short walk could be beneficial to reduce stress and might possibly increase your energy level.

It may also be beneficial to do an activity with your friends such as attending a sporting even or just spending time relaxing alone.

Go see a movie, or read a book. This is not to say that you shouldn’t be thinking about your exams but it is important to be calm and relaxed in order to be mentally ready for your test.

The last and possibly most important tip is to make a list. If you write everything that you need to get done on paper then you can organize time for those things and for self care.

It is important to manage your time carefully during this time or else you will be dealing with excessive stress that could be avoided.

Relaxation is important but so are your exams, so balance your time wisely in order to be mentally and physically ready to get the results you want.

Good luck!