The start of a new school year is fast-approaching. I can already already smell the scent of old paper, brewing coffee and cafeteria food! I think I can even hear the cries from students who didn't quite plan their week out well enough to fit in that five-page essay...

Despite all of the difficulties that come with a new school year, this is a brand new beginning! Perhaps you want to get better grades than you did in the past or become more involved on your campus. Whatever your goals are for the upcoming year, you can always use a couple of tips to help us make better choices. For those of you who are just coming to college, here are five tips that will make the transition just a little easier.

1. Buy a Large Calendar

This is something that I failed to do throughout my entire first year of college. If there is anything that I learned from this mistake, it's that I could have saved myself a lot of stress by just having a calendar to put key dates on! By using a calendar, you will see exactly what you need to do for the upcoming week, and you won't have to constantly go over every event or deadline as it approaches.

2. Make a Routine

In order to be as successful as possible, it was imperative for me to create a routine for myself. This required discipline and lots of dedication, but it was well worth it for my own sanity. For instance, one routine that kept me on track was completing my homework on the weekends so that I was able to get proper rest throughout the week. This brings me to my next point.

3. Get Enough Sleep

Sleep is absolutely essential not only for your health, but also for your ability to perform well on a daily basis. On the days when I slept considerably less, I would always feel sluggish and lack the ability to perform as well as I wanted to. Sleep is the key to feeling focused and having enough energy to interact with your peers in a meaningful way. Without enough sleep, you run the risk of making many mistakes and not feeling your best.

4. Eat Healthy Most of the Time

While I believe it is perfectly acceptable (and healthy) to eat some foods that aren't considered all that healthy, I think it is wise to eat healthy the majority of the time. When I was in school, I would maintain a healthy diet at least 90 percent of the time and I would allow myself the occasional treat so that I didn't feel like I was depriving myself of the foods that I often craved. Eating healthy is important for not only maintaining your weight, but also for avoiding deficiencies or health problems down the line. Also, eating well can make you feel better on a daily basis and make it easier to perform daily activities.

5. Keep Your Goals in Mind

We've all been there: you are stuck in the monotony of the school week and you forget why you are even doing all of this. But it is important to remember your reasons for going to school! Perhaps you want to become a lawyer one day, or maybe you want to live on your own someday soon. The reason may even be as simple as wanting to achieve a certain GPA for the semester. Whatever the reason is, don't forget to keep your head held high and buckle up for the ride.

Hopefully these tips give you some insight into what to expect your first year of college and how to avoid the pitfalls often associated with freshman year. The most important thing to remember, though, is that freshman year will be over before you know it and you'll be glad you stuck through it!