I wish I could tell you the sophomore slump is a myth perpetuated by a few bitter sophomores who did not have the greatest second year in school. Unfortunately, a decent number of my friends and I have struggled through these past two semesters. In the midst of juggling our academics, other commitments and sanity, it has been easy to feel as though we were losing sight of planning for post-graduation (which then stressed us out even more).

Dear freshmen, this is for you. I wish an upperclassman had told me a few simple things I could have done before my sophomore year to help the future-me out.

1. Think carefully about whom you decide to live with.

Freshman year has probably taught you that your living situation has a huge effect on your well-being overall, and that does not change just because you are now more in control of who you choose to share your living space with.

While not something I went through, this was a common theme among many of my friends who were hit by the sophomore slump pretty badly. You might plan on living in your sorority or fraternity house, or maybe you are opting to live with a few close friends off-campus next year. Remember that good friends do not always make good roommates. Are you actually compatible to live together? Or are they going to secretly drive you crazy? No one can really answer these questions but you. In most cases, I would say you just know when you are not completely comfortable with future plans.

2. Choose what your priorities will be. Be realistic about the time you have in a day.

You have had a year to participate in your commitments. Just because you are signed up with them now, does not mean you have to stay with them next year. Really think about what you enjoy and will benefit from. Will it help your overall success, or hinder it because you're stretched too thin? Just as important, though often forgotten—does it make you happy?

I joined a dance team freshman year that might not help me professionally (besides being a conversation starter in interviews), but dancing is a stress reliever and the team makes me happy. I have no regrets having stayed on, even when others encouraged me to let it go to free up time.

3. Add a “studying" calendar section to your iCal.

You can uncheck the box anytime to ignore it, but it helps to block out chunks of time to study, especially when making next semester's schedule. In especially hectic weeks, leave a few hours a day blocked out and promise yourself you will be in the library during that time. Treat them like real commitments. No, you can't catch up with a friend over lunch during those hours or binge watch Netflix relishing in your “free" time.

Classes get harder and commitments get more intense. You are going to need to carve out time to study, and having it set aside visually helps.

4. Start thinking about major decisions before the end of freshman year.

This might seem obvious, but to freshman-year me, it was not. At my school, you have to declare your major spring of sophomore year in order to register for classes in the fall. Guess when I declared? The day before I registered. I probably will end up changing it; I kept putting it off so much that it was not too thought out.

This goes for studying abroad plans or any other major decisions: have a general plan going into sophomore year so you can stay on top of applications and deadlines. People will try to calm you down and tell you that you still have time. You probably do, but it puts you ahead when you start your second year already having started thinking about these bigger decisions.

5. Perhaps most importantly, place your mental health as a top priority.

I think that for most people, the sophomore slump is largely caused by stress with a bit of depression mixed in. I also think, in fact I know from experience, that many people will not get help until they have reached their worst and are left with no other choice.

If you are struggling with depression, anxiety or any other mental health concern, start getting help this summer. Preferably, seek help right now. Do not wait until sophomore year for things to pile up. If you do, then you'll be overwhelmed not only with your to-do list, but also with mental health struggles that make tackling your to-do list even harder.

In the meantime, enjoy freshman year. There is really nothing like it (which you have probably heard before… but you won't truly understand until the fall). Your second year has the potential to be even better than your first: you are more situated on campus, you have a handle on things, and you are coming in with friends. However, you are more likely to be able to appreciate these advantages after a few preparations.

When you come back to school next year, set out to prove me wrong: that the sophomore slump can be only a myth.