Students are back to classes after a long-awaited and, to some, much too short of a break. This final stretch may not seem like much; after all, three weeks is practically nothing. It can pass in the blink of an eye, or as is perhaps a more accurate metric of time, in the frenzied blur of a Netflix-induced binge habit.

There is a lurking terror upon the horizon, however, and its name is finals week. Finals week is a time of frantic studying for tests that can make or break one’s overall grade. When a single test or project is worth the equivalent of a letter grade or two, it tends to occupy one’s thoughts and serve as a pitiless fountain of stress and anxiety.

There is no denying that finals are a stressful concept for many of us. Whether it be from a semester spent not doing nearly as much studying as we ought to, or simply from good old-fashioned test anxiety, finals week can be a highly emotional time.

Finals week is not the only horror lying in wait for students on their path toward winter break. Two weeks separate the recently concluded break from finals week. Two weeks of classes, bitterly cold temperatures and trying to complete as many tests, projects and essays as possible before the end of the semester.

Before allowing oneself to succumb to the hopeless panic, there is some cause for hope. The end of the semester is mere weeks away, after all. Although classes might seem hectic at present, they are in fact winding down.

You may not feel you know anything about the class that you just spent four months – hopefully- attending, but chances are many other people in your class are in the exact same situation. We have all made it this far, after all, so we had might as well see this semester through to its conclusion. We will have a five week break to reward us when we do.