Students on campus have the knowing look of dread in their eyes.

Overwhelmed and scared faces shuffle past each other on the sidewalk. Your timeline on Twitter is filled with cries for help, “WORST WEEK OF MY LIFE,” and “Dying under mounds of homework #brb” to name a few.

Yet, in spite of all of this, the radio still obnoxiously claims “it’s the most wonderful time of the year” and holiday decorations appear in window displays all over town.

The cruel collision between finals week and the holiday season is at its peak and it gets worse every year.

Like most other college students, I’m an expert procrastinator. I have an inability to do something until it seems absolutely vital. I like to pretend this habit is a form of “living in the moment” or “taking things day by day,” when really it’s just a testament to my laziness.

I thought I had everything under control until I came back from Thanksgiving break. That was a definite miscalculation on my part.

From the second I stepped foot in the classroom, I was instantly reminded about group projects, final study guides and all the work left to do before winter break.

This week has also hit me with the realization of how quickly Christmas is approaching. I haven’t even decided on what gifts I’ll get for my friends and family — and the holiday is only a few weeks away. I’ve gotten emails about Christmas parties and white elephant gifts, and all I can think is “Wait? What happened to Thanksgiving?”

Amid all this chaos, I tried to do a few things to keep me centered (the keyword is tried). I made a checklist of everything I have to do before finals, which I lost later that day. I attempted to shop online for presents, but my laughable bank account balance put an end to that quickly.

It’s easy to get affected by the volume of chaos that goes on this time of year. Just take a deep breath, and meditate on the uninterrupted hours of Netflix that await you over winter break. If that doesn’t work, curl up under that mound of homework and have a good cry. It’ll all be over soon.