So when you’re facing down a tough week, what truths do you have to hold onto no matter what? I’m preaching to myself tonight – finals week is upon us and we’re burrowed in libraries and study rooms, coffee running through our veins. Yeah, it’s a brief step away from the usual content here, but this? This is what you have to remember when school is hard and life is hard and there are more questions than answers.

1. Your grades are not eternal.

Yeah, no one really cares about your GPA. Do your best and give it your all, but keep in mind that five years from now you will not sit down for lunch with a co-worker and hear the question, “So what was your college GPA?” Besides a couple words in latin following your name as you walk across a stage in a black or blue robe, it just doesn’t matter. So make like Elsa and Let It Go.

2. Time will keep on moving and there are memories to be made.

You will never get this time back. Sure, that could be depressing if you dwell on it too long. As a college senior, I’ve cried many a tear over the fact that time is moving much too quickly for my liking. If I could major in Knowing People and Making Memories, or perhaps in Late Night Sonic Runs, life would be grand. Sadly, that isn’t reality. Reality is, however, that life is going to keep on moving and you only have right now. Pick people. Make memories.

3. Your worth is not determined by your results.

Maybe read that one another time or two. Your performance on a test does not determine your value as a person. You are more than a number or a letter grade. You are no less of a person if you get a C or if you’ve kept an A+ all semester and the final knocks you to your knees and your grade to a B-. You are still you – and the you that you are is what people love.

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4. Think about all that you have learned this semester.

I know, you’re already doing that as you cram for tests and write thirteen page essays. But in the middle of the writing and the bullet points, between your third cup of coffee and hitting replay on your Spotify playlist (for the fourth time), pause and reflect on just how much you’ve learned. You’ve taken so many notes, sat through countless classes, and written more words than you can remember. But somewhere in the midst of all the homework, you’ve learned more about yourself, the world, and how things work.

5. This is not forever.

You’re going to take your test, turn in your essay, and walk out of the classroom. It will only be a little bit longer. Hold on. Stay strong. Get some sleep (seriously.) and remember that finals are not forever.

6. Relationships trump results.

People matter more than your performance. Great memories will be remembered much longer than a letter grade. If your phone lights up and a friend needs you, go. Be there. Be present. Determine ahead of time that you will choose your people. That might mean a little less sleep or an hour less of study time, but people always come first. Love them well. Pick your people.

7. Do your best and leave the rest.

Give it your all. Study hard and stay focused. Take breaks to spend time with people, to recharge, to sleep and eat (definitely eat. do calories even count during finals week? the answer is always no.). But ultimately, even if you walk out of a test knowing you didn’t do well, there is a small bit of satisfaction in knowing you gave everything you had. Don’t hole up in the library for five days on end, only to emerge to take a test before crawling back into your hole. But do your best because He has gifted you with the capacity to learn. Studying can be honoring. Spend your time wisely and then when you’ve given all your have, leave the rest in His hands.

8. God can handle it.

Your tears, your worries, your fifth cup of coffee and crazy eyes, your apathetic attitude that covers the fact that you’re scared out of your ever lovin’ mind. He can handle your week and He will provide all you need. If it turns out for you like it has for me, He will likely only give you the strength you need for one day at a time. He’s a smart one, knowing we’ll depend on ourselves, our own strength and knowledge. And so He gives you enough for the moment. Lean on His understanding and His knowledge, knowing and trusting that He has it and He has you.

Tomorrow will come and the week will end. You’ll walk out of the classroom, pack one more box, and get in the car to leave. Finals are important but they are temporary – so give it your best and leave the rest in His hands. Remember to pick people, not pages of notes, and to be present in the moment that you have.

You can do it, but just in case you can’t – remember that He can. God’s got your week, your test, your worries. God’s got you.