As we jump into the spring semester, we are saying a big hello to the start of something new. *Cue High School Musical* For some of the people, it's the start of their college career. For others, they have felt this excitement repeatedly, and they're ready for the day this turnover will be ending. A spring semester holds many things.

First, it holds a snow day (wow, right?), next, it holds many New Year's resolutions that didn't make it past January 3rd. The Springs semester holds many seasons like the Flu and the "set your lock screen as your schedule" season. As we walk into this season, we also let go of a few things. We must realize that Christmas is 11 months away again, Thanksgiving isn't close either, and we're stuck with Valentine's day- which isn't a real holiday.

Last fall, some people didn't do the greatest in school, and that's okay. This semester lets' spring into those 4.0's. I know what you're thinking, "oh my goodness, how am I supposed to change my GPA? Magic?" The good news is that I'm here to tell you that there are small little steps you can take to increase your study habits, without even damaging your social life or Netflix watching schedule. Like a diet, it's all about tweaking the smallest things, so you don't feel deprived.

If you are a twitter addict like me, sometimes studying can be difficult. Your Twitter or Instagram feed will always be much more interesting than any piece of homework that you have. Maybe, instead of taking a break from your scrolling to do homework, take a break from homework to do a little scrolling. Every 30 minutes' reward yourself for 2-5 minutes on your phone. I promise your friends will understand that you're taking care of your grades.

A second tip includes picking a designated day to get as much done as humanly possible. Sometimes I call it my "get stuff done day" (I'm still working on a catchy name for it). This strategy includes going to the library for 5-8 hours at a time (I usually tap out at 6) and getting as much done as possible.

As college students, we know about our assignments in advance, right? Use one day that you have free to try to accomplish them all. If they don't get done, that's alright too. After the one day of extreme work, the rest of the week should be lighter (in theory).

A third strategy to get that 4.0 is to make friends in your classes. I'm not talking about those people that you ask if they've done their homework (and they probably have), but a friend that thoroughly understands the material. If you don't have any physical friends, try to seek out a Groupme for the class you're in. It probably exists, so ask around.

These have all worked for me so far in my one semester of being an official college student. As time grows, I'm sure that I will discover more tips, and I'll be sure to write about them on here! However, none of these strategies might work for you. College is all about finding out what works for you and what doesn't. These personally have made me successful, so feel free to try them out. Good luck y'all, I know we can spring into that 4.0 this semester one way or another!