It’s 8:00PM on Monday, December 14th, and you are in a state of panic. Final exams are tomorrow.

Whether these are your first finals as a member of the 2019 class or a veteran of the school system, final exams are an imposing to all. After all, most Regis Jesuit exams are worth 15-20% of your entire grade.

The exams pose are varying threats to different students. Some students may spend long, stressful nights crying over their books and praying they test well. However, to senior Brenden Erickson, Regis Jesuit final exams are a breeze.

“I’m a good test taker. Studying and cramming for finals has never been an issue for me,” said Erickson. “My test strategy is to skim the final review instead of trying to memorize it. If I skim over an area where I have no clue what it’s about.. That’s what I study. It won’t work for everyone but it works for me.”

Not all students are blessed with the ability to be as laid back and cool-minded as Erickson. To incoming freshmen, finals are a time of stress and uncertainty. Freshman Daisy Deane is no exception.

“Being a freshman, finals are something I’ve never really experienced before so I’m very anxious. I’m not necessarily worried, but the idea of a single test being worth just under a fifth of my grade is pretty daunting,” said Deane. “My strategy going into finals week is to keep an open mind and not to allow myself to get too stressed.”

So here’s the real question: How do you survive finals? According to TheSocialU101, here are 10 infallible ways to succeed on your final exams without experiencing waves of depression and/or a mental breakdown.

1. Keep your energy levels high
   -Get plenty of sleep, 7-9 hours would be ideal.
2. 50-10 rule
   -For every fifty minutes of study time, take a ten minute break to allow your brain to rest.
3. Organize a calendar
   -This will help with time management and help you visualize your study habits.
4. Create study guides a week before the final
   -Organizing materials will help ensure you are covering all the required material for your exam.
5. Study in groups, but only if it benefits you
   -Having others present can often be very helpful in studying for certain finals, but it only works if everyone present is committed and concentrating.
6. Take your time
   -Exams often take the entire period to complete, so be prepared to focus the entire time. There’s no need to rush since you aren’t allowed to leave early.
7. Finish your practice problems
   -Rather than giving up, just check with the teacher or fellow classmates to iron out any doubts or confusing areas of study.
8. Relax
   -It does you no good to be too stressed and anxious to function and perform well on test days. Regulate your tasks the week prior to finals for optimum results, which might lead to an increase in sleep as well.
9. Do a practice quiz
   -Creating a practice quiz will potentially allow you to see into how the final will be structured, as well as assess your own areas of strength and weakness on the impending final.
10. Exercise and eat healthy
    -Exercise is one of the best ways to regulate stress levels. Additionally, eating properly will provide you the energy necessary to study hard and perform well.