Finals Week. This is the climax toward which the whole semester has been moving. It’s one of those ninth-inning, two-outs, full-count, bases-loaded moments.

One last chance to salvage, squander or secure semester grades. The work can seem overwhelming, so I created some helpful guidelines for making the most of your Finals Week study time.

For the underdog: Your first task is the most important. You’re going to need a theme song — one that expresses the nearly insurmountable odds you are going to surmount this week.

My suggestions: the “Rocky” soundtrack’s “Eye of the Tiger,” Gloria Gaynor’s disco anthem “I Will Survive,” or, if you are in dire straits, REM’s “It’s the End of the World As We Know It.”

Next, calculate the number of pages you need to read, multiply by the number of minutes required to read one page; then convert to hours and divide by two. This is how many cans of Mountain Dew you will need to buy before you start.

Now you’re ready to open your textbooks.

Hopefully, you’ve saved all your reading assignments for the last minute. That way, the material will be fresh in your mind when you take your exam.

For the poor test-taker: The most important thing to know is whether the final is comprehensive.

Don’t just ask your fellow classmate — at least not the one who does the Daily crossword during class every day. Consult the syllabus or e-mail your professor. Call him or her at home if necessary. This could be the difference between studying three chapters or studying a dozen.

After this, your priority should be to prepare yourself for the type of test you will be taking.

If you will be taking an essay test, do exercises to increase hand dexterity. Try this one: Grab a handful of popcorn and try to get all the kernels in your mouth without dropping any. Repeat eight times.

Getting a good night’s sleep and eating a healthy breakfast have been shown to increase test scores.

You’ll probably want to double your nightly slumber time from three hours to six hours and consider substituting a fruity-flavored Pop-Tart for the usual chocolate one.

For the “I just need to show up and write my name on the test” student: Be careful; those sound like famous last words to me.

Showing up can be the most difficult part of the test. You may want to set two alarms and ask a classmate, parent or distant relative to call you. If you still manage to wake up late, no worries.

Take a quick shower and find a friend with wheels to drop you off at your building. Can’t stand wet hair? Stop at the nearest public restroom and stick your head under the hand drier.

Three pushes usually does the trick.

After taking your exams, if you still feel like you bombed them, here is my best advice: Sell back your textbooks, and you should have just enough money to buy a quart of Ben and Jerry’s and a box of tissue. Then go back to your room and turn up the REM.