Are you ready for finals week? Midterms may have just ended, but the most stressful part of the semester is right around the corner. It doesn’t hurt to be prepared in advance! If you have a studying contingency plan in place, it can make all the difference when finals week comes around. Here are some pro tips on how to prepare for the end of the semester!

1. Make a great playlist

It can be hard to find the perfect playlist and even harder to create the perfect playlist. However, taking a few hours to pull together a nice long playlist for finals week can make all the difference. If you have the right motivating music or background noise, you will most likely be more productive. It also prevents you from wasting time searching for the perfect song in the middle of your study session. If you make it long enough, it can last you all week without feeling overplayed or repetitive!

2. Don’t be afraid to venture off campus

Find a quiet coffee shop or local library to study at. A change in scenery can really make a difference, particularly if you are writing a paper. Places like the library can induce more stress if you just go there during the most stressful points of the semester.

3. Don’t overload on caffeine

Our initial reaction during finals week is to down as many coffees and energy drinks as we can. However, caffeine can actually lead to a crash later on. Try getting up early to exercise or drinking cold glasses of water throughout the day. These can naturally keep your body awake. Eating healthy can also keep you from getting tired longer. You still may need one or two coffees, but it will certainly keep your body from craving the six cups you may drink during an all-night study binge.

4. Get some sleep!

Again, our automatic reaction may be to pull an all-nighter or cut back on our REM cycle in order to finish that paper or spend extra time cramming for an exam. However, it can be more detrimental to skip out on sleep. Going to bed right after studying not only helps you remember, but it also makes your mind sharper the next day. Missing out on sleep can cause you to forget things or be unable to focus in class the next day.

5. Check up on your friends

Trust me, your friends are just as stressed as you are. Send some encouraging texts or buy someone a coffee. It’ll make them feel better, and you’ll feel good about making their day a little better. Maybe they’ll even pay it forward. Before you know it, someone may be buying you a coffee or offering you a shoulder to cry on after you miss your midnight deadline.

6. Have a plan for packing

Most students are heading home as soon as they can after their finals end. Have a plan for packing up your dorm so you aren’t as stressed about it during the week. Pack up any non-essentials the week before. We also have two reading days this semester, so take advantage! Spend one studying and the other packing! You could also use your study breaks as packing time. Trust me, it’s much better than having to worry about packing everything during—or after—your finals!

7. Don’t forget to have fun

Make sure to spend some time with your friends. Don’t forget, finals week is the last week of the semester, and then you may not see everyone during the summer. Go to dinner together or watch a movie to take a break from studying.

8. Communicate with your professors

Contrary to popular belief, most professors are not out to get you. They want you to do well in their classes. If you’re struggling with something, don’t be afraid to reach out in class, during their office hours or through email. Their job is to teach, so let them! If the way they’re explaining something doesn’t make sense to you, tell them. They might have an alternate method of teaching or explaining something. Trust me, they would rather have you ask questions than fail the class.

9. Reach out to fellow classmates

This is a big one. One of your biggest resources are your peers. Odds are, if you’re struggling with something, someone else is too. Try figuring it out together or find another classmate to explain it from another perspective if the professor just isn’t getting through to you. Another point of view can really clear things up. Talking out loud can also help with memorization and having someone to proofread your work can make a huge difference!

10. Hear your paper outline

There are plenty of different programs that can read your paper out loud back to you on your laptop. If you don’t want to have someone read your paper, these automated systems can be a great alternative. Reading out loud is great, but sometimes the mind plays tricks on us and we miss mistakes that a computer will not. It can also help you hear how your paper flows.

11. Have something to look forward to

For most students, knowing that they are able to go home and start their summer is enough motivation to get through finals week. However, if its not, make a list of the things you want to do as soon as finals are over! Engage in some self-care, like getting your hair and nails done, getting a massage or even just staying in bed all day and bingeing on the Netflix you haven’t been able to watch because you were studying. Having something to look forward to can make all the difference when you feel like you’re drowning in work!

Just remember that finals week is only temporary. Your professors want you to succeed and once you make it through the week, you’re home free!