The start of any semester can be bittersweet. You’re excited to get back to the freedom you once held and reunite with all of your friends, but then you remember going back to school truly means going back to class.
Here are a few tips to follow if you’d like to relieve some stress or when you need a little push to make it to the end of the semester. Form your habits now before the semester takes a mind of it’s own.

Sleep, sleep and sleep.
You quickly learn throughout your college years that sleep is taken for granted. There’s no way you can survive any semester by depriving yourself of sleep. It’s tough to obtain sufficient sleep while balancing school, work and extracurricular activities, but sleep whenever you can. It’s okay to skip a social or a midnight outing with your friends. Turn your computer off and give Netflix a rest. Why would you want to suffer through a sleepless night when the choice is in your hands?
There will be times when you have no choice but to stay up all night because you need to finish a project or study for an exam. If that’s the case, napping will be your best friend. Just remember that napping is NOT a substitution for a night of sleep.
Not only is sufficient sleep crucial to your well being, but a good night’s rest also prevents your classes from feeling as if they’re dragging on for hours. Although sleep won’t make the material any more interesting, it will help you focus a bit more.

Plan everything.
Wouldn’t it be great if syllabus week lasted all semester? Sadly, that isn’t the case, and sooner than later, exams and due dates will be standing at our doorstep. Procrastination is any student’s kryptonite. We let ourselves believe our coursework can wait a few days, but that’s the biggest lie students tell themselves.
If you know you have an exam on a Friday and tend to go out on Thursday nights, start studying a week in advance. Now, let’s be reasonable: don’t plan to study an hour a night when you know you’ll get bored fifteen minutes after opening the textbook. Once you feel confident about the material, reward yourself by following your usual plans.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
There will come a time when a chapter or concept will become too difficult to understand on your own. Professors are here to help us. Who better to answer your questions than the person who creates your exams?
Form a study group if you find it tough to study on your own. Odds are that if you’re having trouble, someone else is too. Help each other out. No one likes to go to class and have absolutely no idea what the professor is talking about.
Making sure you understand the material early on leads to having one less thing to worry about on exam day.

Find ways to relax.
It’s not healthy to worry about your school work 24/7. Feel stressed? Give yourself a break. Make a reservation at the Serenity Space or have a killer workout at the recreation center. Stressing over situations you don’t have control over won’t change the outcome.
There’s nothing wrong with binge watching the latest season of “Orange is the New Black” or finishing up that book you started weeks ago. Dine at your favorite restaurant or shop at your favorite store. Let yourself unwind after a long, stressful day or week.
If you want to get involved on campus, you’d be surprised on how joining a club or going to school sponsored events can change your attitude towards school. You’ll be meeting new people and discovering things about campus you didn’t know before. You’ll probably find something you’re really good at and love doing.

Step out of your comfort zone.
There’s more to life than what you’ll make on your next paper. Don’t get me wrong, your education should be one of your top priorities, but college is where you make memories that last forever. Have a picnic in the quad and talk to people outside of your circle of friends.
In the future, you’ll be telling your friends and family about the stuff you did as a Colonel outside of the classroom.