What is possibly the worst week for a student during his or her semester? Most of us, with or without strong academic preparation, would instantly reply, “Finals week!” Indeed, that is the toughest period for any student—filled with stress and academic pressure. But how to cope with this?

During the finals, one can take various routes to cope with the stress. Let me remind you again, this stress can occur even after having the best exam preparation. Here are some of the ways a student can fight the stress of annual exams:

• Reframing thoughts can be a great way to fight exam pressure. For example—a student may have negative thoughts regarding the result before exams, which is a stress creator. Rather, trusting in himself or herself regardless of any situation could be a good way to get rid of the stress.
• Creating boundaries is also a smart way to push away stress! Boundaries are limits that serve the purpose of helping our well-being. One should not define him/herself by just one exam or assignment. An example would help us understand this: A student might find him/herself in a scenario where they have 5 questions due in inadequate time. In this scenario, one should only attempt as much as they can possibly complete. A student might feel, after answering 2 or 3 questions in that span, that they are not enough or feel demoralised after that particular exam. Instead of feeling that way, one should believe that an exam does not define a person or his/her capabilities and prepare for the upcoming exams.
• A rather formal way to cope with exam pressure is the Pomodoro Technique. For this, one can divide a huge syllabus into tiny bits. Even cutting off the study time into bite-sized packets is a more sustainable way. A student can even challenge him/herself in this process like a game. Such as—“Let me see if I can complete this question in 15 minutes?”
• One of the simplest ways to cope with finals stress is self-care. This is for those who finished their preparation a bit early. They can instead do daily chores such as laundry, gardening, cooking, etc. These acts help a student stay stress-free.

These are some of the effective ways to ensure a healthy, stress-free finals week.