Finals week is slowly approaching, and more and more students are feeling the panic settle in; however, with these tips you will be passing all of your finals with ease and more prepared than you have ever been. Here are some tips to help you stay less stressed and ready to ace every one of your tests.

1. Start the day off with a good breakfast.

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and it shows on test day when you skip out on it. Sean Walloch, a junior at Peninsula High School, said that his favorite breakfast to eat on test day is a nutritious bowl of cereal. Eating a healthy mix of protein-rich foods such as yogurt, cheese, or eggs along with some fresh fruit can be a huge difference maker on the test.

2. Stay hydrated.

Try to stay away from any beverages with caffeine or any sodas because you will slowly start to lose energy throughout the day and crash. Keep drinking water the day before, the morning of, and throughout the test. Being dehydrated reduces your thinking functions, so it would be hard to perform at your best if you haven’t been drinking enough water.

3. Find a place to study effectively.

You can study for hours and hours, but if you aren’t studying the right way it won’t mean anything when you’re taking the test. Elisia Jensen said that she likes studying with other people because she gets distracted easily. The library is one of the best places to study simply because of the quiet learning environment that it provides. Avoid stimulation such as your phone, video games, or tv while you’re studying. Music also helps relieve some stress or anxiety and can make studying more enjoyable. Julia Klumker, another Peninsula student, said to start your studying as soon as possible to gain confidence and always try not to procrastinate.

4. Get some sleep.

You might think studying and pulling an all nighter is the best way to ace your tests, but all that studying can’t replace a good night’s sleep. Trying to cram all of your studying in the night before is one of the worst things that you can do. Sleep builds memory, so you are much more likely to remember your material after getting a good 7-8 hours of sleep rather than staying up until midnight to study.

5. Make time for yourself.

Throughout all of the studying and preparing for the tests, most people start getting anxious or stressed. Junior Forrest Stoican said kids get stressed because their grades might not be in order and they need to get good scores to boost their grades. It is important to realize that however big you might make the test out to be, it is just a test and it will be over eventually. Find time to take breaks while studying whether it’s a quick walk outside or maybe just eating a quick meal.