1. Treat yourself to a nice planner. You’ll be more likely to actually use it. If you’re going to have to look at something every day, it might as well be cute.
2. Look at your class schedule. I know it sounds obvious but it’s easy to pick out your classes then forget about them right before they start. Knowing what and where your classes are will make for a stress-free day.
3. Have goals in mind for the semester. They don’t have to be all school-related, though aspiring to be on the Dean’s List is always a good thing. Maybe you’ve never really tried the Rec Center or haven’t looked into many events held on campus. Don’t be afraid to try new things!
4. Don’t wait to get settled to find time for yourself. Build it into your schedule from the beginning. It’s too easy to get caught up in coursework and ignore your own needs. Whether it’s working out, playing a sport or making art, make sure you have time to do what makes you happy.
5. Set a sleep schedule for yourself. Getting eight hours of sleep- even if it means cutting a Netflix binge short- will keep and healthy and motivated.
6. Have everything laid out the night before. This includes everything from picking out your outfit to having your bag packed up and ready to go. Being organized gives you peace of mind and time to really focus on yourself in the morning.
7. Introduce yourself to your professor. This is a little thing that really shows you care. Teachers can be an incredible resource, not only with class, but with scholarships and opportunities. So many students breeze in and out of class without a care, while a simple introduction would really stand out to your prof.
8. Don’t skip class! It may be easy to justify to yourself that the first classes won’t be teaching you much, but that’s not true. This is the time that you’ll be able to really get a feel for both the class and the professor. Most professors give a certain number of unexcused absences, but save those for later.
9. Take care of yourself! Exercise, drink eight glasses of water a day, and again, get some sleep. Not only will your workload be a lot more than it was this summer, but coming back to campus means there are a whole lot of germs mingling. Getting into healthy habits now will save you a lot of sniffles and stress in the long run.
10. Go into the semester with a positive attitude. This is a fresh start and not something to dread. Now is a great time to work towards being the person you’ve always wanted to be! You’ve got a great semester ahead of you.