Twice a year, one thing scares Ashland High School students like no other. It has seemingly mythical powers that bring even 4.0 students to the ground. Finals are coming, but don’t run and hide. Here are seven ways to look on the brightside of finals.

1. Late Starts

This year we have four days of final. Every day has a study session in the morning from 8-9:30, with its first final starting at the end of the study session. A February 2014 report by the University of Minnesota showed that later start times significantly help students learning ability. If you want to study, even just coming at 8:45 could benefit you on your finals

2. Classes with No Final

While many final tests may be hard, there are more than a select few classes that have either no final test or something small on the day of the final. These are classes that usually have a final project instead, but during finals week these classes are a nice break between the finals that scare the bejeebers out of you.

3. Study Sessions

For those classes that you do have to try for, study sessions may be your saving grace. You can go talk to teachers, or you can cram with your friends. These are before and after every day of finals. This means that you should have all the time you need to be prepared. They are not mandatory, but great for those you are taking classes that require lots of brain power.

4. Longer Lunch

Ten extra minutes may not seem to be a lot, but it can make a difference. During finals week lunch is an hour. From 11 to 12 every day you can go and eat wherever you want. These ten minutes can make all the difference when trying to finish that last taco while chugging a 72 oz Coca Cola.

5. Lack of Boredom

While tests may be stressful, they are rarely boring. There are no lectures or long books during finals. There is just you and whatever your teacher has deployed to test your true knowledge. You aren’t going to fall asleep in class during a test unless you have some secret powers of sleep testing.

6. Early Ending

The first three days of finals have two finals. The second final on each of these days ends at 1:30. After this there is a study session. If you have questions for teachers, ask them then. If you feel confident about the next days finals, go home, relax and get more sleep than a hibernating grizzly bear in winter. The final day of finals gets out at 11, so go celebrate summer!

7. Schools Out for Summer