I still can’t wrap my head around the fact that summer is over and that I am somehow a junior in college.

But I am sure that many of you feel similarly, from first-years who cannot believe they are actually starting their college careers, to seniors who cannot believe that yesterday was not their orientation. Nevertheless, the fact remains that we are all starting out a new academic semester. And as with the start of all things, we need to make sure that we are putting our best foot forward. So, here are some tips to have a strong start to your semester!

Plan, schedule, and plan again. 

The beginning of a semester is always filled with surprises- but don’t let these surprises knock you off balance. It is important to plan out your day, week, and (if possible) month! Look at what you have to do- such as your classes, work, and other responsibilities, and plan out what you want to accomplish, when you want to accomplish it, and how you are going to accomplish it. I highly recommend getting a planner and creating a daily time frame separate for working on homework and personal projects. This will help you keep a good work ethic, improve your time management skills, and hopefully help prevent last minute struggles. However, don’t feel bad if you end up not finishing all the work you wanted or if your schedule changes. Take pride in your determination and effort, not if you filled in some check-box.

Take advantage of your available resources. 

There are a wide variety of free resources available to students on campus. These resources range from academic assistance, like the Academic Success Center (located on the lowest level of Dooling Hall), to mental health upkeep, like the Wellness Center and it’s counseling services (located in Dorothy Day), to career development, like the Career Development Center (located on the mid-level of Dooling Hall near the Skylight Lounge). Don’t be afraid to stop by an office and ask what they do- it may be the help you need!

Set some reachable goals. 

Goals are important because they help keep us on track and they feel incredible once reached! However, not all goals are equal in amount of effort and time they need. For example, the goal of having a strong resume will not take nearly as much time as planning your entire future career path. But that doesn’t mean that having a strong resume will take one minute or that having a sense of your career path is impossible. Make sure to set goals that will keep you moving forward and help you in becoming the best version of yourself.

Prioritize your well-being. 

You matter. While that may seem obvious to some, it is sometimes difficult to truly understand and believe that when we are surrounded by academic and social stress. Yes academics, on/off campus commitments, and sports are important- but so are you! Remember that you are much more than what is on your transcript or trophy shelf and that you can only be the best version of yourself if you properly respect and love yourself. Always give yourself time to de-stress and the opportunity to have fun in whatever way suits you!

It’s okay to fumble. 

With all that being said, nobody is perfect. You will most likely make some mistakes during the start to this semester and that’s OK. Don’t put yourself down for everything that does not go according to plan. Keep in mind that every mistake is an opportunity to learn. Therefore, make sure you learn the best you can from your mistakes so that the rest of the semester can be smooth sailing!