You’ve probably heard it countless times. “Just relax, everything will be okay”, or “Study, and you’ll be fine”, and possibly, “Finals aren’t that bad, everything works out in the end.” Through the stress of finals week, the phrases can often grow tiresome and irritating. Unfortunately, whether I believe them or not, they’re slightly true.

Like many high school students, I stress out about finals. My week consists of study sessions, caffeine breaks at Starbucks, and at least trying to relax (if the time allots). I suppose such a routine isn’t rare. Finals are stressful. It’s a universal truth. With review guides, perilous grades (and GPA’s), and presentations/projects due, it’s really not a surprise. So it’s difficult to comprehend the idea that life continues after school and major assessments.

Yet, it does.

I suffered a finals nightmare during my freshman year. As winter arrived and the holidays approached, I prepared for my first high school finals week. With an optimistic approach, I studied, I annotated, and I finished the review guides with passion. Until one morning, as I sat in my second period history class, I felt a wave of chills wash over my skin. The nurse sent me home without a second-glance.

After a day confined to my bedroom and my Netflix queue, my mother decided a doctor’s appointment was in order. They peered me over, performed a few tests, and offered me a popsicle (which I gladly accepted). For a brief moment, I felt better. Chicken noodle soup and grilled cheeses were my friend as I pushed through copious mountains of schoolwork. Until the doctors called home. The doctors hardly call home. 

“The flu.” They announced and immediately prescribed the strongest medicine.

A week went by, and I suffered through insomniac nights, fevers, aching, and an overall ‘I’m dying’ sense. Somehow, I managed to only miss two days of finals. Though, I did take my history final with a massive fever. The names and dates blurred, and I passed the assessment with a low C. Still, I endured. I studied for my other exams, suffered through droning class periods, and somehow survived finals week.

That’s the real truth of the matter. No matter how dark the situation, no matter how high the fever, things do work out. I’m glad to say that I can look back on that experience and chuckle to myself. It’s a fun story and an excellent reminder that finals are never the end of the world. Nothing is.

So, for finals week of December 2017, take a deep breath. Study individually and in groups (both are beneficial).  Visit your teachers for help or even meet with a tutor. Take time to relax, whether that’s through holiday shopping, reading, or watching an episode of your favorite show.

As cliche as it sounds, life will go on.

Soon enough, finals will be a distant memory.