Believe it or not, we will be headed back to our college towns very soon for another fall semester. For freshmen out there I thought I would give you some tips on how to start the semester off strong. However, for some of us maintaining that ambition and drive can be the issue.

One of my first tips on starting the semester strong is to really look over the syllabus during syllabus week and make sure that isn't the only time that you are looking at it. Professors don't typically give reminders about when exams and assignments are — at least mine didn't — so it is up to you to look at the syllabus so you are not caught off guard. I had that happen one time during my freshman year where I did not know that there was going to be an exam. Luckily I had been paying attention during lectures and did the readings so I did just fine.

With that being said, make sure that you get a planner so that you can write out all of the assignments and test dates as soon as you get the syllabus. Also, no matter how great your memory is, we all forget things from time to time so it might be beneficial to write down your homework assignments too.

This next one I am currently guilty of. If you can help it don't wait to pack up your things to move in to college the week before you leave. I did this during fall semester my freshman year and ended up forgetting some things that I probably wouldn't have forgotten if I had given myself some more time to make sure I had everything.

If you are a freshman especially, make sure that you get involved in student clubs and organizations that are on your campus. I got really involved my freshman year and it definitely made my freshman year that much more memorable. Some organizations have a minimum GPA requirement in order to get into or maintain membership in the organization so that could be a determining factor as well.

Lastly, don't work yourself too hard. Try your best but also give yourself some downtime to relax and destress from the hard work you have been doing. Good luck with this semester!