School is starting up again for college kids very soon, if not already. Just thinking about everything I have to do when I get back is taxing and causing me to lie around my house even more so than I already do. So to in order to get in the sense of preparing for the new semester, I’m going to provide some tips that I usually try to follow to get ready to get back in the swing of things.

1. Start setting my alarm for a proper wake-up time.

I know. It sucks not being able to sleep in till 2 p.m. every day, but if you decided that morning classes are something you want in your schedule, you need to be prepared to wake up for them. I usually start but setting my alarm to about 9 and then when I feel comfortable with that, I start to move it back a little further and continue in that pattern until I’m at the time I want to wake up on any given day.

2. Start to write your schedule for the new semester down in your planner.

Putting your schedule in a planner or in a device that has a way to keep track of events such as classes and things of that nature is important. If you put the effort into putting together your planner now, you’ll most likely be more willing to put more things in it when you start getting dates for important projects and assignments.

3. Start looking over your things and decide what you need to take back to school after the last semester and what you can leave at home.

Usually I use this as my attempt to clean my room before I leave and it gives me an opportunity to go through all the stuff I brought home and decide if I actually used any of what I brought home or if I will need it in the coming semester. Usually that means I leave all my old textbooks and all the books I somehow managed to read for fun during the semester at home and then take back my new textbooks and make an attempt to take the rest of the books I have in my room with me.

4. Look for any emails or any notifications coming in from your new professors or any clubs you might be involved in.

You never know if you’ll have some sort of homework due when you get back or if you have some sort of meeting. If you do get any notifications it’s important to note them before you get back to school.

5. Start planning on how you’re going to improve this semester compared to last semester.

It’s always important to come up with new ways to improve your grades, GPA, and/or your social or private life. If you come up with a plan to improve these (at least I hope the plan is to improve), your usually going to try and follow through.

With the new semester coming up fast on our heels, these tips should at least begin to help those of us who are less prepared to start up again. Good luck!