The school year is quickly approaching, and if you’re anything like the majority of students, you’re dreading every second of it. Here come the excessive homework loads, the waking up before sunrise, and the overall stress of finding the motivation to get out of an extremely toasty and comfortable bed each winter morning. Many of you are probably shaking your head, wondering why I would even bring this up, reminding you all of how dreadful the school season is. Whether you’re in middle school, high school, college, or grad school, I would just like to stop your negative energy right there and save you all a tremendous load of trouble, by throwing your way some hints and tricks to having a successful school year!

1. Set your alarm clock’s time to be 15 minutes later than the actual time.

This has saved me multiple times. Sometimes we hit the snooze button one too many times or we find ourselves only to be constantly checking the clock, as if obsessing over how late we are will make time go slower. Either way, if your alarm clock’s time is set 15 or so minutes later than the actual time, you will be happily surprised when you rush downstairs in a hurry and see that it’s actually only 5:15 when you had to leave at 5:30.

2. Prepare all of your snacks and meals ahead of time.

If you engage in some foodie prep before bed the night before you need it, you will be much less stressed out in the morning when rushing to buzz out the door. Prepare all your food ahead of time and make tupperware your best friend! It’ll be so much easier to grab the food-filled containers and throw them in a lunch bag with a couple ice packs, than to prepare the whole meal within the containers from scratch that same morning. Eat healthily! Eating whole foods frequently will boost your energy for the whole day and curb your cravings for heavy meals or snacks throughout school hours. If you don’t pack junk food in your lunch box, you won’t eat it.

3. If you drive, always overestimate travel time.

School is 10 minutes away? Leave 20 minutes before you have to be there. I overestimate by doubling the travel time to ensure that I am there comfortably, not stressed and frazzled. Waiting in a parking lot doesn’t bother me if it means I’m not late or running behind. Also, you’d hate to get into an accident on the way to school because you were rushing. Always over plan!

4. Plan and set outfits out the night before, even if it’s just sweatpants and a T-shirt.

You’d be amazed at the time this saves you. A majority of the time, I don’t bother to invest much time into planning an extravagant outfit, especially if it’s just being worn to school. However, even if I’m going to be wearing sweats every day of the week, I’ll still set out whichever sweats I anticipate wearing the night before, so I can just throw them on right when I wake up. This way, I don’t have to worry about thumbing through my closet and piles of clothes to find something to wear on the fly.

5. Don’t just plan to study, actually do it.

The only person getting in the way of good grades is you. Even if your teacher sucks, you can still put in the work at home to receive the grade you want in the class. Always go the extra mile by planning in a designated study time into your schedule, so you can buckle down and get the education you (or your parents) are paying for!

6. Don’t procrastinate.

Even if you have one billion and six things to do and events to partake in, you should always be getting things done (assignments and tasks) in a comfortable time frame. Meaning, if an assignment is given on a Thursday and is due that Monday, do not wait until Sunday evening or Monday morning to begin the assignment! Complete assignments and tasks when they are given to you, not when they’re due. Squeeze in homework any time you want and study days/weeks before tests, not just one single day in advance.

7. Go to bed early and make time for you.

Although school is crucial to build a strong future and can be very time taxing, that doesn’t mean that you should dedicate all of your time to it. Make sure to squeeze in time to pamper yourself, and to temporarily forget everything within your institution’s walls. This will aide you in healthily releasing stress from school related things. Make sure you're getting a generous amount of sleep as well, since that alarm will be buzzing very obnoxiously before you know it.

8. To strangers, be the friend that you always wanted.

We’ve all seen a movie where the main character lives under the radar, holding the lowest spot on the school’s social caste, and meets that totally friendly and spunky character, that immediately becomes their best friend. Be the friendly and spunky character. Be somebody that’s always curious about people, not out to get them or make them feel invaluable. Just be friendly to everyone, that’s all I ask. Everybody is somebody’s daughter, son, sister, brother, granddaughter, or grandson and deserves a friend. Smile and crack jokes with everyone you meet, and be that friend, because you will just be an overall happier person. School will be so much more manageable if you’re friends with everyone you meet.

9. Keep your room clean and your backpack clutter-free.

An uncluttered room is proven to enhance drive to remain organized and to study. If you keep a tidy living space, you will feel less mentally cluttered as well, same goes with your backpack! Also, an organized room is a fantastic, distraction-free space to study and complete homework assignments. Keep it happy and clean, and change your sheets frequently! Keep everything fresh, so you often feel cleansed. When we feel cleansed, we are more driven to get things done and are just overall generally happier.

10. Do not talk about teachers behind their backs.

They’re trying the best they can. Talking smack won’t fix your grade, a new attitude will. Work hard for everything, while making sure that your health takes first priority. Listen to your teachers, since it’s their job to instruct, inside and outside the classroom. Respect their rules and policies, for they are there for a reason. Overall, just be a decent student. Our jobs as students are not to get straight A’s, but to actively listen, participate, and engage in learning new things every day we enter the lecture hall, and to try our absolute best in being the best active student we can possibly be.