Just seven weeks left to fit in one dissertation, three essays, 25 pub shifts and revision for six exams: such is the mountain facing some university students before the summer break.
It is typically at this time of year that the pressure starts to build - particularly for finalists worrying about graduation debts just when they need to concentrate on study the most. Psychologists claim that the nation's young are more stressed than ever before.
Chris Butler, the head of the counselling service at Royal Holloway, University of East London, says that working the extra hours in a bar or call centre can have serious implications for a student's academic achievement. "Employment does impede on studies. But a number of students see it as necessary." In fact, according to the National Union of Students, 75% of students work during term time or the vacation.
"The onus of debt can be stressful in itself, and greater competition in the job market means that students are under increasing pressure to study hard and get a better degree," says Mr Butler.
So what exactly is the answer to juggling work and study and tackling that pile of lecture notes and past papers, growing dustier by the day? Planning, says Mr Butler. And the time for action is not next month, but now.
"Coping well with a high workload depends on a structural and methodical approach. It sounds obvious, but plan out your time now, and don't leave it too late. Students face a multiplicity of problems - health, personal or family difficulties, for example. Stress caused by a high workload can exacerbate these.
"Students need to remember that they're human beings like the rest of us. People can only do 40 hours work a week, maybe 60 hours for a brief period. If you're regularly working a 60-hour week then you're probably going to end up very stressed. And everything we know points to the fact that if you overwork then your general performance goes down," he says.
Roger Mead, stress management consultant and the general secretary of the International Stress Management Association, agrees.
"Up to a point pressure improves our performance. But as it increases a bit more, it reduces our effectiveness," he says. "Handling it well is about recognising that point. The key is not to overwork, but to strike a balance in your life."
Exams, Mr Mead believes, are not bad in themselves. Instead it is the negative perception of them that often leads students to try to block them out until the last minute. "Stress is not about the exam, but about what you think about the exam," says Mr Mead. "People shouldn't see them as monsters they can't escape. With the right preparation they're not too scary."
And so what advice can he give students on how best to approach the coming months?
"As far as possible, plan your time. Create a routine, with time allocated for study and relaxation and any other commitments, but have some flexibility in it. For example, if someone asks you if you want to go down the pub when you're supposed to be revising, then you can, but make sure you put in those hours somewhere else. Break big projects down to small, manageable tasks, and start them early so there's no last-minute rush.
"And don't procrastinate," he warns. "Don't be tempted by computer games, by constantly checking email, or even by doing too much web-based research. Work out what you need to know in advance, and then know when to stop. Also eat and sleep properly, get regular exercise, and learn a simple breathing relaxation technique.
"These are the kind of little disciplines you have to start building in to best manage stress."
Establishing some routine and practising a few of these "little disciplines" will ensure students can approach exams in a calm and confident way, Mr Mead explains.
Relaxing after the exam is also a vital part of the jigsaw. "Don't stress yourself out afterwards worrying about how well you might have done - it will only affect your performance in the next exam. Walk out, and just move straight on. Once it's gone, it's gone."
It seems the key is not only to plan early but also "not to set goals too high". Being realistic, or "taking a step back and looking at the wider picture," as Mr Mead puts it, is crucial to facing up to, rather than avoiding, the pressures of the exam term.
"Be positive, be upbeat," he advises. "And don't have unrealistic expectations and set yourself impossible tasks. Examiners know students are human, they don't expect perfection. The problem is that we are all just too good at beating ourselves up."
Alan Percy, the deputy head of Oxford University counselling service agrees. "Different people have different anxieties. Some have had bad experiences in the past, others panic about the amount of work they have to do. A good start is to reach for some paper and draw up a realistic work plan, breaking things down into manageable tasks.
"Anxiety can paralyse people from doing anything. It's about prioritisation: what do you have to do? Where can you strike a realistic balance? If you can engage with the task rather than the anxiety, that reduces your anxiety. Going off like a headless chicken and not knowing where you're going is demotivating - you get into a vicious cycle of eroding confidence. It's about how you can turn that around.
"With exams, it's about the way you see them. Think positively. Think about times you've successfully taken exams in the past and what it was that helped you, and concentrate on your strengths.
"It's also about balancing your own life. Eat healthily, take regular exercise, have leisure time out from a revision schedule. It's important not to neglect any of those things: without them revision will become ineffective."
