Finals. It’s the most stressful time of the semester. With less than a month left, you should start preparing now. Don’t wait until the night before an exam to memorize 18 weeks of information. Plan ahead!

First, don’t procrastinate. Procrastination causes unnecessary stress and sets you up for failure. Check out your exam schedule and start studying for your hardest final first, and leave the easiest one for last. You’ll have more time to study if you organize your study guides, quizzes, and homework assignments by chapters.

Second, find a quiet place to study. Find somewhere to study other than your bed. Of course we all want to be comfortable while studying, but lying in bed probably won’t end well. Find somewhere to study that has no distractions and is beneficial for concentrating and learning. This way you’ll have more time to study, instead of sleeping. When you study at a coffee shop, you can study for a longer period of time because you have nowhere to sleep.

Finally, it’s important that you make enough time to sleep. Sure, coffee and Redbull come in handy when you want to pull all-nighters. While most college students think that pulling all-nighters will help them remember more for an exam, they can actually ruin your final grade. Students can’t concentrate if their eyes are rolling in the back of their heads. Well-rested students are much more comfortable and attentive when it comes to taking their finals. Make time to sleep. You’ll thank yourself when it’s all over!

Remember, you can force yourself to take breaks. Don’t think you need to sit down for 12 hours straight, studying for that one final in one sitting. Break it all up into parts and study in pieces. It’s all about making time between work, hanging out and class so that you can have all the time in the world to study for finals.