We’re all back and almost finished with our first week following fall break. It’s a difficult time of year to come back to school because after a much needed week off, we all come back to Champaign to find nothing but deadlines and stress. Most students have finals leading up to just a few days before the holidays, which leaves us with little time to enjoy the season.

It’s getting colder outside, and the days are getting much shorter, making it seem as though there aren’t enough hours in the day to complete the laundry list of tasks college students need to do leading up to finals.

Of course, as esteemed students of this University, almost all of us know ignoring our responsibilities is detrimental to our success — yet almost all of us do it anyway.

Not to mention, the holidays are right around the corner, and as broke college students, we have to save up for holiday shopping. There are a lot of stress factors coming to play at once, and keeping your mental health in check during this time is vital.

The Daily Illini Editorial Board would like to remind students to keep pushing on for the remainder of the semester. We’re all in the home stretch, and it won’t be long until we’re actually home for the holidays, spending time with friends and family.

Prioritize your important work first, so it doesn’t all build up at once. Now is definitely not the time to binge-watch a series on Netflix instead of studying or decide to go to Monday Night Lion when your final presentation is the morning after.

But priorities also include making the conscious effort to not get distracted while in class, especially as finals loom closer. It’s not the best idea to browse shoes online while your professor is going over concepts guaranteed to be on the final; and checking Instagram or Twitter can definitely wait until later.

Priorities also include your health, too. Giving yourself a break once in a while to keep stress in check is equally as important as keeping up with schoolwork and extracurriculars.

During the last few weeks of the semester, self-control might just be the deciding factor between passing and failing, or a B+ and an A. Let’s all work hard, just for a little while longer, and get this bread.