With finals coming up quickly it seem as if stress and dread are a package deal. Rather than leaving everything until the very last second, try these few tips to study and reduce stress:

1. Eat healthy
Amazingly, finals week is the time when most people eat the unhealthiest because of time shortage. Junk food might give you energy for a moment, but will soon wear off and conflict with your ability to concentrate and stay awake. Not eating enough means feeling hungry all the time, which can distract you. Eating healthy has been shown to improve alertness and mood.

2. Sleep
As the week goes by, sleep is something we all need, yet we tend to have irregular sleep patterns, which may limit our ability to learn, listen, concentrate, and solve problems. All teens need about 8-10 hours of sleep every day.

3. Take short study breaks
Believe it or not, after a long period of studying, your concentration will be broken by chronic daydreaming. For example, studying for one solid hour is not as useful as three twenty-minute study sessions with 5 minute breaks in between. With both scenarios, you end up studying for one hour, but you retain more information through shorter studying times because you’re allowing your brain to take much-needed breaks.

4. Choose your environment carefully
Find a quiet, orderly place. Studying in your own room might be a bad place to study because of all the objects around that might distract you. Instead, a good place to study would be a library or even a quiet park. A peaceful environment may be an immeasurable help to your concentration.

5. Ask for help
Never be afraid to ask for any help from your teacher, parents, or classmates. If you do not understand what to do or study, just ask. After all, you are working through it together, and your teacher would gladly help you get a good grade in his or her class.

6. Manage your time
Beware of any activities you might have the week of finals, as they may take some time away from studying and concentrating. Be diligent in your studying. Make sure to have enough time to study for every class you have, so that the importance you give to each class is balanced. For example, if you have an easy class you don’t feel you need to study for as much, you can plan to study for a harder subject instead.