It’s here.

That time of the year that always seems to creep up University of Scranton students: dead week.

As morbid as this name sounds, it’s really not that bad. “Dead week” is simply the last week of classes before final exams start. University faculty members are asked not to give any sort of tests to their students during this week so that students have time to study for their exams.

The intention is to have no tests so that students have less to do this week, hence the “dead” in dead week.

Nevertheless, the other projects, papers, and presentations along with the impending final exams can sometimes be very stressful. So I’ll offer what I like to call “The Survival Guide to Dead Week.”

#1: Sleep! There are so many benefits to sleep that it’s ridiculous to limit sleep time. It’s your body’s natural way of recharging itself, it helps you remember all that stuff you studied during the day, and without it, your body’s more vulnerable to illness. Plus, you’ll be more apt to tackle what lies ahead of you the next day – it may be dead week, but you don’t want to feel like a zombie.

#2: Eat well! I know I tend to talk about food on this blog a lot, but eating is important. It’s your body’s fuel, and it can reenergize you just like sleep. And take the time to eat the good stuff. Healthier foods help you think and study better, so take those couple extra minutes to get a good meal.

#3: Exercise! Ok, this one may be a stretch (and yes, pun intended), but I’m not saying go on marathon runs or stay at the gym for hours on end. A solid 30 to 60 minute workout can relieve stress and clear your mind.

#4: Relax! This is quite possibly the toughest one to do on this list. With everything coming to a close and all the emphasis that is put on the end of the year academics (not to mention the holidays coming up), relaxing is probably the last thing on the “to do” list. However, I don’t think there’s any study out there that says students who stress more perform better on exams. Take a deep breath, meditate, or do any or all of the above mentioned tips, and you’ll find yourself in a better position take on the day.

#5: Stay positive! This is pretty self-explanatory. The right attitude can make all the difference.

My Advice in a Nutshell

These are just a few things that I’ve found to be helpful for dead week. Good luck to all those students out there with final exams coming up! Keep up the hard work, break is almost here!