The summer has sadly started to come to an end. No more care-free beach days or long hours sitting out by the pool. Now it's time for all-nighters in the library and long hours in class. The majority of students absolutely dread starting classes again, and I'm no different. Every year I seem to get worse at getting back in to the swing of classes. But this year I've decided to take the bull by the horns and take control of this semester. Hopefully some of what I have to say will inspire you to do the same.

First things first, it's time to get your stuff together. And I mean this literally, get your stuff together for all of your classes. Don't wait until two weeks into classes to buy your books and supplies. Take the initiative and look up what you'll need for each class. It's actually smarter to do it this way because those textbooks are not cheap. If you know what you need, you can space out the purchases so you won't go absolutely broke as soon as you step onto campus. You could even be an overachiever and email your teacher or professor ahead of time to see if they're going to require any extra supplies or texts.

This next thing will probably make students everywhere cringe and roll their eyes: actually read the syllabus before the first day of class. I know this is basically unheard of because we all want to deny the fact that we actually have to go back to learning at some point. Well it's time to stop procrastinating for once (if that's even possible). Reading the syllabus will get you prepared for numerous things. For one you'll know when all the assignments are supposed to be due which will help you plan out your semester better (or you'll know how long you have to procrastinate doing all your assignments). It will also give you an idea of how fast or slow paced the class will be.

The last, and in my opinion the most important, thing to do is to set goals at the beginning of your semester. I suggest doing both large and small goals. They can be long-term or short-term depending on how big you want to go with it. This could range anywhere from landing an internship by the end of the year or limiting the amount of times you skip class a month to four instead of eight (and if you're anything like me, it'll probably be more like the second one). Setting goals will not only help you get a better idea of where you want to be by the end of the year but it will also enhance your college experience and hopefully get you started on the path to future success.

If you do any one of these things, your semester will hopefully run a little bit smoother than your last. Good luck and Happy Back-To-School!