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This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Regent chapter.

A soft, persistent ticking in the back corner of the dimly-lit room urges the adrenaline working overtime to pump faster. More and more chemically-fueled blood runs throughout an overtaxed body. Nearby, the rhythmic tapping of pencil on laminate surface causes stress to flow from the body in thick beads of sweat. Focusing all remaining attention on trying to desperately quench the flight instinct, the hand grips the pencil tighter, determined to finish strong.

While the scene above may be a tad overdramatic, we’ve all faced the dreaded test day in class. Maybe you feel confident and prepared for whatever the exam has to throw at you; or maybe you barely studied and are clinging to the feeble hope of simply passing. Whatever your mental state going into an exam, the sad fact for many students is the tendency to “blank” in the face of pressure. You could go into a test as confident as Hermione Granger and leave the classroom more depressed than Eeyore. Nerdy analogy aside, here are eight ways to remind yourself to breathe during the dreaded finals:

1. Know that you are not alone. Yes, this is completely cliché; however, cliché quotes generally turn out to be factual. All your fellow classmates are feeling equal levels of stress, so try not to let your anxiety get the best of you.

2. Breaks are a good thing! I cannot stress this point enough. Many students fear taking breaks during weeks full of studying for fear that they will run out of time. Listen: taking short breaks often actually helps your brain retain information. Instead of cramming eight-weeks’ worth of content in your brain all in one sitting, take fifteen-minute breaks and go for a walk.

3. Get up and exercise. Exercising is an excellent way to give your brain a rest and work out the kinks knotting up your back from sitting hunched over a laptop for several hours at a time. If you get your blood pumping you’ll be able to focus more of your attention on schoolwork.

4. Find a change of scenery. After a while, your brain can be lulled into a state of low motivation. If this happens, change where you’re studying! Go to the student lounge, the library, or a computer lab. Do not just stay cooped up in your dorm room thinking you can concentrate well enough in the comfort of your own home for long periods of time. Comfort tends to put stressed students to sleep—not encourage them to keep working.

5. Voice your frustration. Do not keep your stress inside and allow it to keep you awake at night. If you aren’t comfortable talking to on-campus counselors, find a close friend or family member who can relate to your situation. Spill your anxiety, then go take a nap.

6. Naps are perfectly natural. If you’re the typical college student who makes yourself pull all-nighters as your blood turns to coffee, do yourself a favor: quit the caffeine for a bit and take a nap. Sometimes your body just needs to crash, and that really is nothing to be embarrassed about. In fact, if you continue to push yourself too hard, you will likely end up getting sick.

7. Don’t try to get everything done all at once. Schoolwork takes time; however, if you’re like me, you probably think there is never enough time to get everything accomplished. An easy solution is to break your schoolwork into manageable sections and force yourself to only do a little bit at a time. You don’t want to overload your brain, after all.

8. Last, but not least: your professors hate giving you finals! I know, I know—this eighth point may seem false to those readers who vehemently believe their professors are out to get them; However, the average professor teaches at least four classes. Even if there are only twenty students in a class, it still adds up to eighty exams to grade! The average college student only has to take four or five midterms. So, be nice to your professors.

Finals may be brutal, but they don’t have to drain the joy out of your entire week. Life is all about how you manage to keep pushing forward, despite the stress.

My name is Lili Nizankiewicz. I currently attend Regent University, and I am studying English with a concentration in creative writing. My ultimate goal is to go to grad school for creative nonfiction and eventually become a writing professor at a university. I am a writer, reader, violinist, and coffee drinker. Writing is extremely important and personal to me, and I believe that it can break down many social, mental, emotional, and spiritual barriers that people struggle with. I also adore reading because that is where my love for writing began. Reading has always acted as a comforting escape in my life, and I have fallen in love with so many incredible literary characters, like Scout Finch and Peter Pan. The violin allows me to take a step back from the world of English and literature. I find the beautiful instrument to be both relaxing and challenging. I also really love coffee; it keeps me alive during my weariest days and makes me happy overall. Personality-wise, I would describe myself as introverted, introspective, determined, hardworking, and a little sarcastic.