As August rolls into September, we bid syllabus week adieu as GW students all over Foggy Bottom are preparing themselves for the semester ahead. As a seasoned sophomore (or so I like to call myself), going from the most relaxed week in the whole semester to kicking into high gear until December will not be such a painful transition - but I think it’s safe to say that you can feel the nervousness as you walk down the halls of the freshmen dorms.

Congrats freshmen! You guys successfully survived your first syllabus week at GW. Whether it was getting trampled by the crowd in front of a club, or sneaking out the back door as the cops busted a frat party - you made it through! With, I'm sure, a belly full of Carvings fries.

With a week of college shenanigans under your belt, you’re probably feeling good about the semester ahead. You’re going to hit up the library (when it’s open), stay on top of your clubs, go greek, have an internship, make new friends. You can do it all!

Now I’m not saying that isn’t true. There are many superhumans on every college campus that find the time to do absolutely everything - but if you were like me your senior year, chances are the senioritis bug got to you good.

What they don’t tell you is that college is not the cure for this unfortunate condition -- senioritis is very much a real thing coming into your first semester. When it hits you, it hits you hard - but it can be avoidable! Here are three easy steps to overcome senioritis and post-syllabus week depression:

1. Don’t skip class

This might sound obvious, but it has to be said. Just because your professor doesn’t take attendance does not mean that it isn’t important! Hold yourself accountable - just because your parents aren’t there to wake you up in the morning or no principal to call home when you’re not in class does not mean you should take advantage of that.

The best way to stay on top of your work is by attending lectures and paying attention - which you can’t do from bed. If you calculate the cost of each credit, then you’ll understand how much your parents are spending to keep you there.

2. Go to the library

My freshman year I was scared of going to the library. It was big and always crowded and it seemed like an endless abyss of upperclassmen.

Trust me - the library is your best friend. By making distance between yourself and your bed, you are essentially forcing yourself to study, which is a lot easier to do when you are surrounded by people doing the exact same thing.

3. Create a schedule

In college you have a lot of free time. Classes no longer run from 7 to 3 (unless you scheduled them that way). Go to the gym, join a club, create a daily routine that includes time for things like the gym and the library. It makes it super easy to get organized when you have a schedule to follow - as long as you can hold yourself accountable for missing deadlines or straying from it.

Take a deep breath, and don't allow the transition to get you too caught up in things that really don't matter! College is about being selfish, learning things you've never been exposed to before, and making lifelong relationships -- enjoy it and prioritize!