Getting back into the swing of things can be tough, let's face it. You've spent the last few months not thinking about schoolwork, stress, or how many things you still have to get done before the day ends. Maybe you went abroad, maybe you had a summer job or internship, or maybe just enjoyed pure relaxation without having any alarms set on your phone for the past few months. Whatever it may be, it can be difficult to hit the ground running and pick back up the workload with a busy schedule.

So, whether you're a freshman, sophomore, junior or fellow senior, here are a few things to help you survive the first few weeks of the new semester.

Keep a planner.

This is going to be your saving grace once classes pick up and professors start piling on work. I'm a pretty organized person and I like having a to-do list with everything in the same place. If you can get into the routine of writing down all of your assignments, projects, meetings, and important dates, I promise you'll never miss an assignment. It's also a good time-management method that helps you organize your time accordingly.

Get on a normal sleep schedule.

Coming back from summer vacation, you might be on a weird sleep schedule. It happens to the best of us. It's a luxurious feeling to be able to finally wake up at 11:30 in the morning and stay up until 1 a.m. by choice. Once school starts back up, classes begin pretty early, so getting used to being up early in the morning, maybe even before the sun rises, and staying awake for the majority of the day is definitely going to help you in the long run.

Get involved on campus.

Whether you're new to campus or have a lot of free time on your hands, get involved in some new clubs or organizations. It's a great way to branch out, meet more people, and spend time with others who have the same interests as you. Even as a senior, I just joined a new club and I'm really excited to be a part of it. Most majors have their own clubs too, which is a great way to help prepare you for a future career in the field.

Organize/redecorate your living space.

This is something that almost everyone can relate to. Once the semester gets going, you're going to be busy with work and other obligations, and this is usually when your living space begins to suffer. I am a pretty neat person, and even I am guilty of this. After the first few weeks of school, my room usually starts to become a tornado of clothes and notebooks on the floor. Before things get too crazy, it's a good idea to take some time to organize your living space and set up those last minute decorations and pictures of friends and family. Otherwise, you'll just keep putting it off and never get to it.

These are just a few things, but they have definitely helped me get back into school-mode for the last 4 years. So to all the students, let's make this year a great one!