KRISTA ALBRITTON
Staff Writer

It’s almost that time – that specific time of year that every college student dreads. You know what I’m talking about. That’s right ladies and gentlemen: the most fearsome creature of all, finals. They are right around the corner, waiting to pounce, sink their claws in deep and make you as miserable as possible. It is getting closer and closer to the time when the College Zombie once again walks the earth. It’s inescapable, so I hope you’re ready for a B-level horror movie to momentarily take over your existence. Don’t worry though, I have plenty of advice that will help you survive.

My first piece of advice would be to study until your eyes fall out of your head and everything starts to look like flashcards. Studying is your number one priority and comes before absolutely everything – even sleep. That’s what energy drinks and coffee are for. If by the end of your last final, your bloodstream isn’t made of 90 percent caffeine, you are doing something wrong.

Next up would be to ignore your friends. You can’t study and pack in all that knowledge if you are focusing on useless things like friendship. Forget about those parasites until the semester ends. Your friends want to hang out the weekend before your exams? Absolutely not. Your friends invite you to a yardie for that last hurrah before the end of the semester? Sorry, but it’s not allowed. You have to take this time seriously and that means there is zero room for fun. Now, I don’t want to be too harsh on you. You’ll be pleased to hear that you will be allowed to leave the confines of your study cave in order to eat, as long as you bring study materials with you.

At least one hand should be in contact with a textbook at all times. Keep one hand on that burger and the other on your future. After all, C’s get degrees, but that C degree won’t guarantee that you get a job.

Okay, I have to admit, all of this has been a bit facetious (except the first paragraph; that one is true). In all honesty, finals aren’t nearly as dramatic as they are made out to be.

Yes, studying is important, but it isn’t as important as taking care of yourself. Overloading your mind with information while loaded with caffeine and running on barely any sleep is never a good thing. Just plan your time so that you have time to rest and eat. I also heavily recommend taking advantage of the events that will be going on around campus that are designed for students to get a break from all the madness and the stress.

Do the best that you can, and that’s all anyone should ask of you. Just be sure that you plan your study time wisely, take care of your health and take some time out to relax. You’ll do great.