It’s the end of the semester and we students may feel more excitement than usual as winter break is getting closer. But before we can bask in the joys of the holidays, there may be a heavier amount of stress weighing on us as we prepare to take tests accumulated from all the other previous ones taken. They are called finals and if it were up to students, we would do away with them and go on winter break a week early.

Then again, what leads people to believe final tests are so difficult to pass in the first place? Finals week isn’t all bad. After all, everyone has been tested over the same information already. A majority of teachers tend to give a few days of review in class and they are split up into three days so prioritizing is helpful. When it comes down to it, two of the days before winter break are early release. Plus, for finals there are no assignments to turn in.

The anxiety, stress and loss of sleep during finals week can easily be avoided with early preparation to study, going to bed at a reasonable time and a positive attitude. All it takes is seven more tests (at most) and then we FINALLY take a break to start again fresh for the new year.

The biggest reason why finals can be stressful is because final tests are worth a larger percent of students’ grades. Weighted finals can make or break a letter grade but if a student already has a great report card, final tests aren’t as threatening to academic success as they appear. If students make an effort to study, they will probably be surprised at how much they actually know. We don’t give ourselves enough credit for what we have learned.

But even after finals, if your grades aren’t the best, it is never too late or too early to turn things around. Regardless of how you finish, promise to start the new semester with optimism.