With Thanksgiving break behind us, college campuses everywhere are in crunch time. For some, that means coasting for the remainder of the semester on well-planned study sessions and papers that were outlined and drafted way in advance.

But for most, the days leading up to finals are packed with cramming for exams and trying to meet the expectations for a group project. During this time, it’s important to stay on top of work, but equally important is the need to take care of yourself.

It’s easy to slip into a feeling of melancholy mixed with stress in the week leading up to the end of the semester, but try to keep your head above water. Many students end up skipping meals, passing on exercise, and forgetting to shower, making studying much harder and less pleasant.

While these habits already can drag you down, they can also lead to a weaker immune system and cause students to get sick more easily. Does anyone want to be nursing a cold while studying organic chemistry? Or worse, listening to your roommate cough and sneeze while you’re trying to catch some zzzs? So remind your friends to take care of themselves too.

And when students do schedule time to blow off steam, much of it can be in unhealthy ways, such as drinking heavily or staying up all night.

Take care of yourself this holiday season by treating yourself to a movie with friends, some alone time with a good book, or a marathon of “The West Wing” between studying and putting together final projects.

And if you don’t feel you have time for that, at least make sure you’re eating enough, sleeping adequately, and showering. Do we sound like your parents yet?

Make a list and set priorites. Remember, you can’t do everything in a day and no one expects you to.

You are all champions and we thoroughly believe that you’re going to kick butt on your finals. We promise it’s not the end of the world, and that this exam, project, or paper will not define you for the rest of your life. Do the best you can, then reward yourself for finishing a challenging semester.

Have a happy and safe holiday, from all of us at “The Simmons Voice.”