All over the country, people are singing holiday songs, shopping for gifts, decorating their homes and baking/eating delicious goodies. Unless of course you happen to be a college student, which means you are spending this post-Thanksgiving holiday season trapped in the library or chained to your desk, kicking yourself for not starting your studying earlier. Yes, it is that magical time of the semester known as “finals.” If you are a freshman, you’ve probably strategically outlined your study schedule for the next three weeks, carefully scheduling time for bathing, eating and maybe even sleeping. If you are a senior, then you know that these plans never work out, and you’ve resigned yourself to the fact that these next three weeks of sacrificing bathing, eating and sleeping in favor of studying are a justifiable penance for procrastinating all semester long. But regardless of your classification, you’re probably really stressed out. Follow these tips in order to reduce your stress level and prevent further procrastination.Coping with stress:-Identify the cause of the stress: figuring out where your stress is coming from is the first step to reducing it. For most of us, it will be school-related; however, family and relationship pressures often cause stress this time of the year as well.-Drink water. That is WATER, not coffee, Coke, Red Bull, juice or alcohol. Caffeine might help you stay awake, but only water will help you function well and be more productive, thereby reducing stress.-Eat healthily. This is the time of year we all want to eat junk food, but try to resist the temptation and eat fresh foods and good carbs like fruits, veggies and whole grains for maximum energy. Your body will thank you for it later!-Take a walk. Get away from your desk or library spot for regular breaks; ideally, get outside and take a quick walk. The change of scenery will relieve your senses and exercise will help keep you calm.-Laugh. Seriously, humor is one of the best ways to reduce stress and feel better. Don’t feel guilty about taking a five minute break to watch a funny video on YouTube, because you’ll actually be helping yourself.Don’t procrastinate!-Stay away from Facebook and MySpace! If your will power is not that strong, log in to your account and then ask your roommate or a friend to change your password for you and make them promise not to tell you what it is until AFTER you’ve finished your finals.-Make lists. Setting daily realistic goals for yourself can help you accomplish your work and feel good about the progress you’ve made. Meeting expectations are easier if they are manageable and realistic in the first place.-Reward yourself. You wrote four pages of that paper? You memorized those French verbs? Well in that case, head over to Starbucks and buy yourself a lovely caffeinated treat! Offering personal incentives is a good way to get things done in record time. Taking short well-deserved breaks can also help prevent a long episode of procrastination.