Finals week is a time of stress, sleep deprivation and frantic, late-night cramming. To a certain extent these things are unavoidable. They are why nobody is celebrating the halfway point of the school year. Fortunately this wild week can be tamed with a few simple tactics.

Start studying a week ago. Hopefully you were a responsible student and began studying before the day of your final. If not, don’t abandon all hope; you can still nail your final, you might just lose a little sleep. To all of the procrastinators out there (myself included), START EARLY! Nothing prepares you better for a graceful week of finals better than a well paced study schedule.

Prioritize. If you have left it all to the last minute, take a breath and look at your classes. Which class is your lowest grade in? In which class could a good final bump you up a letter grade? Focus your effort on the finals that will make the biggest impact. I’m not suggesting that you neglect studying for a less important class, just put the study time where it needs to go.

Calm yourself. Finals week is the essence of stress, but you need to keep it together. The best test takers are able to quiet their nerves and concentrate on the matter at hand. A great stress reliever is gum.

Take care of yourself. Don’t skip breakfast; an empty stomach only distracts you from the task at hand: Finals! All the studying comes down to one 90-minute test, so don’t blow it by not sleeping the night before. To do well on a test you need to get a good night’s sleep; no one works right after pulling an all nighter. This brings up another important lesson; don’t stay up all night studying for a final. Nobody ever tests well when they’re using their final as a pillow. And it’s hard to remember what you studied the night before when it was hard enough staying awake.

It’s never easy to put your phone out of reach, sit down and just study, but that’s what you need to do. A good finals comes down to you putting in the time and effort to ace it. Good luck!