Written by Kashvi Pallapotu. Graphics by Alice Stockli.
Finals roll in like the last five minutes of a movie when everything explodes at once.
One day you’re romanticizing the quarter, telling yourself you’re finally “locked in,” and the next day you’re calculating whether you really need sleep before that 8 a.m. critique. Staying chill and normal through all of that is less a skill and more a lifestyle choice.
I’ve learned that you don’t need to have everything perfectly together to be calm. It mostly means deciding not to spiral, even when your to-do list looks like a Letter of Intent to Sue for procrastination. My personal method is to shrink problems down to bite-sized pieces.
Instead of thinking, “I have four projects to finish, and there’s no way I’m getting them done,” I think, “Let me get the research done first. Okay, moodboard done. Now let me compile this.” Life feels a lot less terrifying when you treat it like a teeny tiny to-do list instead of an existential crisis (Trust me. I know).
Music is another essential part of my coping system. When I get overwhelmed, I put on something loud and pretend I’m in a motivational montage about a person who miraculously gets their life together. Does it actually fix my problems? No, but it gives me enough confidence to keep going, which is basically the same thing, right? Say yes.
At the same time, constantly pushing through stress isn’t the flex we think it is. Sometimes the deepest act of productivity is stepping away. Taking a walk, calling a friend, eating real food, or doing absolutely nothing for 10 minutes can feel refreshing in the middle of finals. It’s easy to forget you’re a person when you’re running on deadlines and caffeine, but to be “normal” is to remember that your worth is not measured in completed assignments or met deadlines.
Another humbling truth is that everyone handles stress differently, and it is not a competition. Some people cope with color-coded calendars and motivational quotes. Others cope with last-minute panic. Both are valid. Comparing your behind-the-scenes to someone else’s highlight reel only turns growth into pressure instead of progress. The key to being chill is to learn yourself well enough to know what keeps you steady and sane.
Finals feel huge when you’re in them, but the truth is, they are temporary. The stress passes, the projects get submitted, and somehow we survive every single time, don’t we? Staying calm isn’t about avoiding the chaos but about realizing that you can exist within finals week and still be okay!
So my best advice? Breathe, do what you can, laugh when things get ridiculous, and remember that being chill and normal doesn’t mean having it all figured out. It just means showing up, trying your best, and trusting that you’ll make it through, because you always have, and you always will.
