1. Buy textbooks

Every college student dreads having to pay for textbooks. With how expensive textbooks are where one textbook can cost over one hundred dollars, you can understand why. Textbooks are also required for most college courses. However, there are a few ways that you can buy textbooks cheaper before the semester starts.

You can rent textbooks on Amazon or through other websites such as Chegg. Chegg is the one website that I use every semester to rent my textbooks. On Chegg, you can rent textbooks at cheaper prices than the university bookstores. You also don't have to pay for shipping costs to return your textbooks, which can make it easier to rent textbooks without having to worry about any extra costs.

2. Check the deadline for your bill for tuition

Tuition bills can be one of the most stressful things about college. Every semester, I always find myself wondering how much bigger my tuition bill can get! On top of that, you have to worry about payment plans, scholarships and deadlines.

The best advice I can give you is that you need to talk to your college's financial aid office to help you figure out how to manage your tuition bill. Also, make sure to know when the deadline for the tuition bill is and to mark your calendar. Trust me, you do not want to find out at the last minute that you missed the deadline and that you were dropped from all your fall semester classes!

3. Get school supplies

The one thing about getting ready for college that can be fun is to start shopping for school supplies! Even though you're in college, you still need folders, pens, pencils and binders for your classes. The good news is that some courses don't require as many supplies as others. You should at least buy folders for each class and look at the syllabus if you need any additional supplies. Make sure to avoid buying school supplies at university bookstores since their school supplies tend to be more expensive.

4. Figure out transportation

If you are commuting to campus, you should start making a plan for when you will need to leave your house or apartment to get to class on time. This includes when you should wake up and how much time it will take to get to campus. In addition, if you are riding the bus, you will need to start looking at the bus schedule and figure out what time you will need to be on the bus to get to class. You should especially plan on doing this earlier rather than later to make sure that you won't end up late for your classes.

5. Go shopping for back to school clothes

This is one of the more fun things to do to get ready for fall semester if you enjoy shopping! If you don't like shopping, the great thing about college is that you don't need to worry as much about what you will wear to class. That doesn't mean that you should go to class wearing your pajamas, but you also don't need to wear a dress. Yoga pants are usually the go-to outfit for almost any class, and the best part about yoga pants is you can virtually wear them with any top!

If you're an education major, then you may need to plan on buying clothes for student teaching or field experience. Make sure that you are listening to your instructors about what to wear in the field since they tend to be very picky about the attire. Just make sure that you are dressed professionally and conservative.

6. Start getting your sleep cycle back on schedule

This is something that every college student struggles with. A lot of students will stay up late during the summer, whether it's because of work or because they simply feel like it. However, when you go back to class, you will need to start getting your sleep cycle back on track, especially if you know that you'll be taking morning classes this semester. So make sure that are getting nine hours of sleep and that you are at least getting up at the same time every morning.

7. Make sure to check your email for any homework

Most freshmen who are just about to start their first semester of college will often think that professors only assign homework either on the first day of class or afterward. I'm sure that every student in college wishes that this was true. Unfortunately, in college, there are a lot of professors that will assign homework a week before class starts. And if you don't come to class prepared, you may start off on shaky ground with your professor. So, make sure you are on checking Canvas or your email for any messages that have from your professor a few weeks before classes start.

8. Look at the class syllabus

You should always take a look at your class syllabus before fall semester begins. It may be scary to look at the syllabus, but it's the best way to know what to expect before classes begin. It's a lot more stressful if you wait till classes start to take a look. Looking at the syllabus can also help you decide if you want to continue taking a class that you may feel unsure about. The class syllabus is made to help you prepare for the upcoming semester and familiarize yourself with the expectations and your professor's grading style.