Help! I went on a vacation with my family during midterm season, and now I’m screwed! 

DEAR PROFESSOR PEAK: Okay so I’m basically fucked. I’m swamped with term papers, midterm exams and other assignments, and for some reason I decided to leave on a five-day vacation to Florida with my parents last week. I just couldn’t pass up a trip to this beautiful, sunny state; Universal Studios and Disney World were amazing. However, upon return I realized that I underestimated just how much school work I have to catch up on. Now I’m crammed with deadlines left, right, and centre, and I don’t see any way I’ll be able to get these in on time to salvage a decent grade. Do you have any suggestions on how I can cope with this situation I’ve stupidly landed myself in? —SWAMPED STUDENT

DEAR SWAMPED: Life as a student can often feel like a never ending game of catch-up, but don’t worry: regardless of how overwhelmed you might be at this point, remember that the semester will be over sooner than you realize and you can get back to having spare time. (Remember what that felt like?)

I can’t speak for everyone, but when I’m staring down the barrel of multiple papers/projects due in as many days, it helps to prioritize. Focus on any projects that might be due in the next day and then tackle them as the deadlines come at you. It’s a lot less organized than most people like to operate, but it’ll help you get through everything that’s built up. Just take things one day at a time. After you’ve made it through the slew of immediate deadlines, you can regroup and reprioritize.

PS. While you’re at it, stop wasting time writing to your student newspaper about your issues, and get your ass in gear! —PROFESSOR PEAK