 If any of you have been paying attention, you'll notice I've been a bit frazzled lately. That's because I was getting ready for finals. Two 10-page research papers, one 200-point project, one final performance, one vocal test, and my end of year evaluations. That's a lot of pressure for one person. I couldn't even do anything productive in the small amount of downtime I had. I was too exhausted to do anything but watch movies and YouTube. When you're an introvert, downtime is important. We need more downtime than other people might because of the way our brains work. We process the world better alone, and when you take away our processing time, we go a little wacky. But I have some good news. Yesterday was my last final. I'm through and still mostly sane. And half sane is better than nothing. How do introverts go through finals with at least 50% of their sanity still intact? Well, this is how I did it. Keep in mind, this worked for me, but it may not work for you. These are simply suggestions to try and see if they work for you. If they don't work, don't sweat it. You know more about yourself, and you can start coming up with your own finals system. Number one, don't leave it until the last minute. This is kind of a given by the time you get to college, but it bears repeating. If I had tried to do all that stuff I mentioned the day before they were all due, I guarantee you, I'd be dead. Now, I lucked out and got two teachers teaching three of my classes who set deadlines for certain parts of the papers or projects to be done in increments. This made staying caught up easy. By the end, all I had to do was combine the pieces of information I had gathered and put them all together in my papers. If you don't have a teacher who does this for papers or projects, set deadlines for yourself. They can be daily, weekly or monthly, but do it. You'll thank yourselves later. Number two, pick the lock. Don't look at the dogs. Why am I quoting Magnum PI? This is the advice my mom gives me every year before finals. For those who haven't seen the movie and don't get what I mean, here's the gist. Focus on the work, not on the deadline. Don't think about how whatever it is is due next month, next week or even tomorrow. Just focus on the work. Worrying about the time won't help. If you're someone who looks at the time religiously, take the time away from you. Cover up all the clocks in your place and don't have your phone near you. Trust yourself to get the project done on time. Number three, don't eat the whole toad. It means work on the toughest thing first. If you've got a 10-page paper and a 5-page paper due at the same time, work on the 10-page one first. If you have a 100-point project and a 500-point project due on the same day, work on the 500-point project first. Number four, focus on 10 feet past the finish line. Anyone who has ever been in track and field will know that coaches tell the runners to focus on the area past the finish line rather than the finish line itself. If you focus on the end point, you'll slow down before you get there. Same rules apply to finals. Even if your last final is on a Wednesday, focus on Friday instead. That way, you'll still be giving it your all for the last final rather than giving up just beforehand. Number five, all-nighters won't necessarily help you. Some people can do great work by pulling all-nighters. Some people do acceptable work. Other people can't do work at all. I'm part of that last category, along with most other introverts. I still have a bedtime because when I don't get sleep, I get cranky and lazy. If you find you're better at late-night working, then go for it. If not, don't demand that from yourself. You'll just end up tired and disappointed. Number six, comparison is the thief of joy. This is a good overall life rule. Stop comparing yourself to others. You'll just feel bad for all the hard work you put in, and you may end up thinking negative thoughts about the person you're comparing yourself to. You'll never be the same as someone else. Just be the best you you can be, and things will work out. Number seven, do something to take a break. Just like how employed people can't work a job 24 hours a day, you can't work on homework and school all day and night. Do something to relax and recuperate. You may not be able to be productive in your own personal creative pursuits, but do something. Like I said, I watched movies and YouTube. Find something that allows you to rest. After all, for introverts, recharging time is very important in order for us to function on a daily basis. Number eight, reward yourself. Never underestimate the power of rewards. They can do amazing things. Today, me and my friends are going to see Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2 for our big end of finals reward. You can reward yourself alone or with selective social time with people who don't wear out your introvert battery. Regardless, do something to reward yourself for all the hard work you've done. And don't let anyone tell you you're rewarding yourself wrong. If your reward is staying home all day in your pajamas doing nothing all day, then do it. Don't let anyone make you feel bad for that. It's your reward, not theirs. Number nine, when it comes to tests, trust your instincts. Now, nothing can replace a good study session. But if you've got two answers that you're just not sure about, trust your instincts. If you know the material, your instincts will lead you in the right direction. Don't doubt yourself. You've got this and you know what you're doing. Number 10, don't be afraid. For a lot of people, this is a scary time. Most people aren't afraid of the final tests. Papers and projects one-on-one. But when you stack everything up, it can get stressful. A lot of people are also afraid of the word graduation. If your friends are graduating and you're staying behind, don't be afraid. You're not a failure for not being done as soon as everyone else. And you are not alone. Everyone does everything at their own pace. Be kind to yourself and you'll succeed in your own time. If you feel like you're losing your friends, don't worry. You'll keep in touch and maybe you'll find new ones. There's always going to be new people that you jive with, so don't worry. However, if you're the one who is graduating, don't be afraid. I know the world is big and scary. You have to go out and talk to people to find a new place to live and a job to adult at. That's frightening, but you can do it. That's why you went to college, so that you could be ready for the real adult world. But most of all, so that you can achieve your goals. You've got this. Are you an introvert dealing with your own set of finals? What do you do to cope with the stress? How do you wind down and relax? Leave a comment down below.