From the sleepless nights to hours spent cramming in the library to the pressure of maintaining a respectable GPA, it’s clear that a lot of stress comes with the end of the semester. At the same time, though, finals week is not all bad. Just hear us out. While it may be the most stressful week of the year, there are some aspects of finals week that kind of rock.

1. Studying can be pretty satisfying — Yes, cramming a semester’s worth of knowledge into a few days of studying is not typically a person’s idea of a good time. But, there is something to be said for that moment when you get in the zone. You discovered an awesome 8tracks playlist to work to, your study snacks are ready, you finally found a comfortable spot after 30 minutes of pacing through Glenn G. Bartle Library and you finally feel like you might actually be absorbing this information. There are some moments of anxiety for sure, but when you begin to understand what you’re learning and the outlines you’ve been working on for eight hours straight are coming together, you definitely feel some pride. The sense of “I can do this” is beginning to win you over, and you feel like you could take on the world, if only for a moment of false security.

2. Finals week can be a weeklong bonding sesh — There’s no better way to bond with people in your classes than crying together and complaining about how inevitably screwed you all are. Not only will they be able to help you study and grasp the material, but getting to know them will also prove to be a perfect distraction when you need a break every hour or so.

3. You’ll become a coffee master — During finals week, you’ll really learn your way around a cup of coffee if you haven’t already done so. You’ll understand the beauty of an espresso shot (or three), the glorious amount of caffeine in a macchiato and truly realize the health benefits of downing four cups a day.

4. You’re that much closer to winter break — With all of the testing, studying and general lack of sanity, we sometimes forget that this week is the last of the semester. With every exam, you’re one day closer to packing up for the winter and heading home. That means six weeks free of homework, tests and assigned reading — and six weeks of family, home friends, non-Sodexo food and, of course, Christmas. That definitely won’t get old after two weeks.

5. Nothing compares to that moment when you finish your last test — No matter how well or poorly you did on your last final, there’s no denying that filling in that last bubble on the Scantron or writing that concluding sentence is an amazing feeling. No longer must you suffer, you are free!

So when you’re not rocking back and forth in the fetal position in some dark corner of Bartle, try to see finals week for what it truly is: not the best, but also not the worst. You get to show the world everything you learned, and prove to your teachers that skipping class half of the semester did not have any negative effects whatsoever. Or in the case that you bomb your finals, there’s always next semester!