Yes, it’s sad to admit, but summer vacation has officially ended for us college students. While the summer had a lot to offer for many, it’s now time to leave that and focus on this semester that has arrived. While it may have only started, I can guarantee many college students are already overwhelmed just by taking a glance at the syllabus and checking out the course work there is. I’m one of those students. It may have only been the first official full week of classes, but a lot has happened and many things are due, which I myself haven’t submitted yet.

We tell ourselves each semester that we need to get our things together and finish up the work the minute it’s assigned so it doesn’t pile on and so you’re not left stuck home on a beautiful weekend working on your biology homework, all while writing an introduction essay for your English class. Yep, this semester will be full of procrastination just like last semester, and the semester before that. But it’s only natural that a college student pushes back their work to last minute. In all honestly I’ve seen many students work better under pressure. For example if you start an essay that isn’t due until next week, chances are you’ll be staring at a blank document for a while. But if your essay is due at midnight and it’s already 9PM. I can bet that your fingers are moving so fast you already passed minimum word count. Which was your goal for this essay anyways.

Like every semester that has gone by, or if it’s your first, then you sure are in for a surprise. Every semester at college is full of lessons, surprises, and all levels of stress. Things are going to happen when you least expect it and you start to figure yourself out more each and every day. Not only are you educating yourself, but you are changing and growing in this process of learning. But just like every semester you shouldn’t have to worry. Even if it’s your first semester at college, you’ll be fine. Once you complete the first couple of assignments, which is normally during the month of September, which is the slowest month of the Fall semester, the semester will fly by and before you know it you’re taking a month off.

Before you can actually take that month off however, you need to get through the semester. And the semester sure has a lot to offer. After your mind and you yourself has accepted the syllabus will stay the way that it is, you can begin to work on assignments throughout the semester. But don’t forget that midterms come up real quick. Midterms could last for a good two weeks or so, depending on your professor that is. But once you’ve completed midterms you can take a small breath of air. I say small because you’ve only completed half the semester. There’s still a whole another half.

If there is one thing you could absorb about surviving another semester or your first semester in college, it’s time management. Managing your time can make a big difference with your life. Make a list or even a schedule for yourself for the each day. And stick to it. You don’t want to spend so much time on one thing and not enough on other, especially when it comes to final exams and midterms. During those times of the semester you have many exams to take, and your bound to take at least two exams in one day. So you need to balance your time to study for both of them all while completing other assignments. Yes, even though you have exams for every class, that doesn’t mean you won’t assignments. This is college. It’s serious business.

Nothing is more important than staying focused and taking care of yourself. One of the first things you should always remember is getting enough sleep, which can sound impossible if your a college student, but managing your time well can help you with that. Getting enough sleep will help you concentrate better during lectures, you’ll be able to participate more and rack up some extra points that could help boost your grade, and even help you make better food choices. Though let's be honest, most college students are on a budget so they’ll eat what they can get, but that doesn’t mean you still can’t eat healthy. These things are all essential to help you get through the semester.

Once you’ve conquered finals week, and submitted your last essay, you can really breathe. You can sit back for the whole month. You’ve earned it. You worked hard during those months. But don’t get too comfortable because just how the semester flew by the minute September was over, you’ll have to start all over again for a whole new semester. In my opinion I feel like the Spring semester is always the slowest, whereas the Fall semester flies by. Even though it’s the same amount of days, you feel like it’s longer. Maybe it’s because after the Spring semester is over you have a lot to look forward too, and your vacation time isn’t just one month. So that could be the main reason. But for me the Spring semester just drags on forever.