No one is ever excited to say goodbye to summer and hello to school. School not only means the end of the freedom summer brings, but also the starts endless amounts of school work, early mornings, and even later nights. It's not uncommon to see students carrying around copious amounts of coffee, or walking to class in last nights pajamas too tired to even change their clothes, but all of this comes with the start of school.
In my experience, there are certain key ways to help yourself get acclimated to the school year once again before it overtakes your entire life.
1. Take classes that you're going to be interested in...
Not classes that you're going to dread going to just to fulfill the credits. Find a class that will make you excited to leave the warm comfort of your bed and brave the cold Binghamton air.
2. Make friends with your roommate, or room with friends from the year before.
Friends can make or break your school experience because they can excite you for class or for any random thing and will be there to help you along with anything you may need help with.
3. Get plenty of rest
Especially the night before classes start because even though you think you can handle an eight am class, you can't without a full nights rest.
4. Have as many home-cooked meals as you can
Because once you get to school it's all you'll be craving and it will be weeks before you're home again. Pro tip: bring as many leftovers to school as you possibly can.
5. Stock up on good food
Because snacks are essential to surviving. Some days dining hall food is just not what you're craving, so healthy snacks, and even some unhealthy snacks are going to help tide you over until you get the food that you've been wanting.
6. Have fun the days before classes start
Explore campus and the area around school, and remind yourself or learn about all of the little things that make this place uniquely your temporary home for the next couple of months.
7. Make your room a place that you love,
It's important you feel comfortable there because you're going to be spending a lot of time in your room; whether it be doing homework, watching Netflix, or hanging out with friends.
8. Make sure you're ready to work
You came to college to take further your education, and you cant do that without going to class and doing your work. It might not be easy but it's what you need to do to succeed.
Waving goodbye to summer is a hard thing to do, goodbye to warmth, free days and nights. Getting back in the swing of school is even harder to do after about three months of summer, but it comes faster than expected, or desired. No one is every ready for school to start, but it sneaks up on you so subtly it has started before you can even realize, and transitioning back to school is even more difficult than one would expect.
