The holidays are over, the ball has dropped, and it's officially a new year and for us college students, the beginning of a new semester.

New semesters call for a new schedule, new professors, new notebooks, and a fresh start.

Ah yes, a fresh start.

With a fresh start, comes a time for new experiences, opportunities, and a time of learning from your previous ones. Fresh does not mean forget. Although you do not have to continue the same classes as before, the best thing you should do is learn from your past experiences in those classes you've already taken. As I am entering my second semester of college, I can strongly say I have grown so much as a student in my first semester and that last thing I want to do is throw all those learning experiences away.

Maybe your last semester wasn't the best? Why wasn't it the best? What were the ways you studied and what outcome did that bring to your success? Do you need to find new ways to study? What improvements will bring you the most success as a student, maybe time management or organization? These are some of the questions, I challenge you to ask yourself and focus on to allow yourself grow as a student.

Looking back on my first semester, there are definitely times I wish I had taken better notes or prioritized my time better. Although I know, I did not always give it my all, I also know that there is no point in dwelling on the past. Instead, as I begin this new semester I have set achievable goals for my self, to improve on those ways I know that lacked last semester.

With this new semester, your fresh start doesn't have to be in academics.

Some people have really learned how to be successful as a college student, but no one is perfect. There is always something in our lives, especially as busy college students that we wish we could improve on. From being more intentional in friendships, or getting more involved on your campus, maybe even taking up a new hobby, there are plenty of "fresh starts" you can give yourself.

To implement a change, intentionality is important.

Know why you want to start this change, and brainstorm and implement a plan on how you want to start this. Remember that in whatever area of your life, this "fresh start" is taking place in, it is called "fresh" for a reason, because you're new at it. You are not an expert. Continue to learn from your mistakes, and be willing to change your plan and techniques when needed.

Finally, celebrate when you see the improvements you're working for.

Change is hard. Having that "fresh start" is liberating but sometimes scary. Celebrate your successes and learn from your failures.

Here's to a new year, new semester, and a fresh start.

Wishing you all a very successful semester!