Classes have started again and you promised your parents all summer that your grades will never look as terrible as they did last semester. Or you told yourself you’ve had enough of second best, so you want to give this semester all you have and do your absolute best. Well you can make your parents, and yourself, proud by following some of my tips to start the semester off right.

1. Start Organizing EARLY!

From the first day of class to the last, be sure to date your notes and organize them while you’re in class. Don’t wait until you’re home and can’t understand anything in your history class after that monotone lecture in biology. Get it together before you leave!

And don’t wait until the first test to start doing this. DO IT NOW! You’ll thank yourself later and feel whole lot better about life if you know everything you need for your first test is all neatly in your notebook.

2. Wake up Earl(ier)y

I know many of you are rolling your eyes at this one but hey, it works for me. A 30 - 40 minute commute to school, plus early classes, plus the need to workout and eat a hearty breakfast equals waking up at 5 am. I know this isn’t going to work for everyone, but it can work for most. You don’t need to get up at 5 am to do well in your classes. Get up at seven, or eight. Just as long as you give yourself at least two hours before your class starts because you’ll need an hour to stare at a wall and question your existence/why you decided to put yourself through another four years of school (or you can actually use this time to study), and the other hour to get dressed so you don’t look like college is kicking your butt.

3. Read, read, read

If you’re an English major like me, you’re already doing this (I hope). Everyone else, follow suit. If your professor assigns a reading assignment, just do it. That way when you get to class and realize there’s a quiz/assignment on the scheduled reading (yes this happens), you’re prepared. Most Instructors/professors won’t give you a quiz on the assigned readings, but it’s better to know what you’re going to be talking about so you can ask any questions you might have as well as take more informed notes when your professor begins professing.

4. Take a good look at your syllabus/course schedule

Every class has one, just print it out and actually look at it. Read up on what you’ll be expected to do each week in the class, see where the class plans to take you by the semester’s end, and then look at the number of assignments, quizzes and tests, and how much they’re all worth. Then, because we all do, go ahead and calculate how badly you can do on them and still pass.

In all honesty, I’ve never actually done this for a class (I give 100 percent, 100 percent of the time), but you know yourself better than anyone else. If you know you’ll be busy or you find the class difficult or whatever, start calculating those numbers and preparing those extra credit assignments NOW. It’ll save you later when your procrastination kicks in.

5. Take Good Notes

Listen to your professor when he or she professes (I know this isn’t a thing, I just like this word so shhh). When they say important key words like “this might show up on the exam” or “this is important” or “write this down everybody,” write it the heck down! It WILL be on the test and even if it’s not, something similar to it will be. I guarantee it.

Also, as mentioned earlier, take the time to date your notes and label them for every class. That way when you go back to read them it’ll be easier to find out what Professor A (nnoying) professed on last Wednesday.

6. Don’t Stress

College can be hard. Really hard. But it can be easier if you decide to not let it destroy you. You will get that degree and you will be great. Even if you don’t do everything mentioned above, you can still do great this semester. Just do what works for you and don’t let anything get in your way! This semester will be your best semester (you can repeat this while staring at yourself in the mirror in the morning if you use that extra hour properly).