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14 Gifts To Give Yourself During Finals Week

TREAT YO SELF.

Deck the dorms with binders and highlighters, because finals season is upon us. Before college students can pack their suitcases and head home for the holidays, they need to pass their exams and finish their term papers. This typically means many, many late nights in the library and an unhealthy amount of caffeine to power through the pain.

The finals struggle is real, so don't wait until winter break to treat yo self to a present. If there's ever a reason to open a gift early, a stressful final should be it. You deserve some joy during this otherwise hellish week. Here are the things you need before Santa arrives:

A neck pillow

NBC

Neck

Nap comfortably in the library.

A coffee maker

Coffee

If you don't own one already, buy one and stop hitting up Starbucks three times a day. Making your own coffee or tea will save you hundreds of dollars per year. You're gonna need that caffeine to get you through those all-nighters. ?

Your favorite comfort food

Chocolate

Whether it's chocolate or mac 'n' cheese or ice cream, keep your fridge stocked with whatever you need to keep your stomach happy. There's no time for hunger or calorie-counting during finals. You can go back to being healthy after exams are done.

A reusable water bottle

Water

All that coffee you're drinking is probably dehydrating you without you even realizing it. Drink plenty of water to make up for the energy drinks you're chugging and the junk food you're inhaling. Plus, the extra bathroom breaks will be a welcome distraction from studying.

A watch

Time

It doesn't need to be anything fancy. If you're stuck taking a final in a classroom without a clock, you can't pull out your phone to check how much time you have left. Buy or borrow a watch so you can appropriately pace yourself through the exam.

Sweatpants that look like real pants

Sweats

Sitting in skinny jeans for eight hours in the library is so not fun, and that's why jogger pants are the single greatest fashion trend. They're lined with fleece or terry for optimal comfort, but they're fitted enough to pass as actual pants. When the day's over, you don't need to change into pajamas -- these things are comfy enough to sleep in. Hallelujah!

A portable blanket

Cold

Keep a lightweight blanket in your backpack. If the library or exam room is freezing, have no shame wrapping yourself in said blanket while your very cold peers jealously glare at you. Take that, fluctuating room temperatures!

A portable phone charger

Phone

You're already disconnected enough when you're holed up in the library all day. When the outlets are all taken and your phone is at 3% battery, having a backup portable charger will protect the one thing that's keeping you in touch with the outside world.

Nice pens

Pen

This seems silly, but writing with a nice pen instead of a dull, half-sharpened pencil makes taking notes a little bit more bearable. And during finals, you need all the extra motivation you can get.

Highlighters that actually work

Highlight

Nothing ruins your studying flow like a dried-out highlighter. Stock up on these and other essential school supplies -- what you need depends on your personal preferences -- so that studying is as painless as possible. Just don't highlight everything, OK? That negates the whole point of highlighters.

A good backpack

Backpack

If you've made it all semester without a decent bag, bless your heart. Now's the time to drop some money on a well-made tote or backpack that can fit your laptop and gazillion textbooks without falling apart or straining your shoulders. When you're lugging all that stuff back and forth from the library, your back will thank you for the padded straps and even weight distribution.

Earplugs

Sleeping

You don't have much time to sleep this week, so make sure the precious few hours of shut-eye you are getting are quality sleep. When your roommates just can't keep quiet, earplugs will make sure their noise doesn't disturb you.

Noise-canceling headphones

Hear

Ear plugs are great when you're sleeping, but they're not as practical outside of bed. If you need absolute quiet to focus, splurge on noise-canceling headphones. You'll be able to get into the zone and study anywhere, not just the library. Even if people are loudly gossiping next to you in the dining hall, you'll be able to focus on your notes, not who made out with whom last night.

A Spotify premium subscription

Headphones

If you're the type of person who needs background noise to study, you deserve to listen to music without ads. Spotify offers a 50% discount for students, and there are tons of studying playlists with tunes that actually help you concentrate. Now, go forth and ace those exams!

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