December is the month of festivity and amusement, but it's also the month of stress and anxiety for students that spend hours and hours of studying for their final tests. If you are one of those people and need advice on how to get ready for those tests, here are five steps to help you succeed!

Step 1: Plan your schedule early

Begin by creating a schedule for the day and time that you will be reviewing your notes for your test. Try to plan a schedule as early as possible, like one week before finals week, because it will help you stay organized on how much time you need to spend studying on each subject. Set reminders on your phone or write on a calendar to help you stick to your plan.

Step 2: Study creatively

Create your own study guide, it can help you understand the material better. If you prefer to study with friends or another person to quiz you, make flash cards that have phrases or keywords that will help you remember the vocabulary, then ask them to quiz you. Take advantage of any free peer mentoring programs that are offered or tutoring.

Step 3: Take five

As much as you need to spend time examining your notes, you need to take a break every once in a while so you don't fry your brain! Balance your time to relax, so when you go back to work you can concetrate and memorize more information better.

Step 4: Take care of your body

Make sleep and food a priority. Trust me when I say this, pulling an all-nighter will not benefit you at all, even if you think that staying up to cram in all the new things you learn will help you, it will not. You will most likely forget all the information by the time of the test and you don't want to add more stress. A good night's sleep will help you have complete focus on your test, same goes for a full stomach. Remember to eat to have enough energy, then you won't have to worry about your stomach making weird noises during the exam.

Step 5: Relax

The final step is to relax, do not let panic overwhelm you, it will not fix or help anything. Regardless of how you feel as you work on your test, the key is to stay calm and remember that you have studied and know more than you think you do. Take your time on the exam, a couple of minutes won't hurt if that's how much time you need to look over your answers.