Let’s be honest here. Summer is the best season of the year. The break from commitment, the freedom to hang out with your besties from back home whenever you want, and the sunshine; we cannot forget the sunshine! Together this adds up to the perfect fantasy where you can sit by the pool, soak in that vitamin D and drink an ice-cold drink from Starbucks. But wait, before you know it you open your eyes, the haze clears and you realize that the coming school year is fast approaching and you are totally unprepared!

Don’t worry there is no need to panic quite yet! There is still time to pull yourself together! Maybe it's just because I live in Minnesota and lately the weather has been less than satisfactory, but I seem to have emerged out of my summer haze prematurely this year. As depressing as that is I figured I would make the most of it and help out those who are still enjoying that summer-time bliss. 

With back to school in mind, here are my top 5 tips to ensure that when you step foot back on campus this fall you only have to worry about one thing: deciding how you are going to celebrate the long awaited reunion with all your sisters of course!

1) Purchase a Planner

I know this one may sound like a broken record, but trust me. Get. A. Planner. This way every time something new comes up you can reference it all in one place instead of shuffling through scraps of small paper on your desk. This tip also avoids the regret that always comes when you tell yourself that you can keep all your important information stored your head. Without fail this inevitably leads you to getting side tracked and completely forgetting whatever it is you wanted to remember. Talk about a classic case of Neville Longbottom syndrome, where not even a Remembrall can save you. 

2) Go Through Your Closet   

With a new school year comes a fresh start. This should mean a new wardrobe as well, right? To make the most of those back to school clothing sales you are going to need some room in your closet. This provides the perfect opportunity to go through and clean out all the old clothing pieces you don’t wear anymore. Personally my family always pools these clothes together and donates them to a local charity. It’s the perfect way to feel even better about going shopping. Who doesn’t love that?   

3) Adjust Your Sleeping Schedule   

You guys know what I mean. We’ve all been there. Staying up until 3AM binge watching Netflix and then sleeping in until noon. Unfortunately this system doesn’t work very well when you have to get up for 8AMs, trust me.   

4) Make a Game Plan  

College has so much to offer and so many opportunities just waiting for you to discover. Maybe there is a club you wanted to join, but missed the deadline last semester. Maybe you want to study abroad, but don’t know where to go. Make the most of your free time while you still have it and find dates and gather some information to ensure you live your college lifestyle to its fullest.  

5) Collect Your Final Paychecks   

This one is for all my working class people out there. As summer comes to a close and you are reaching the end of your internship or giving your 2-week notice wherever you work, don’t forget to collect your final paycheck. This may sound like a strange tip because seriously who doesn’t want to cash in their hard earned paycheck? However, from experience, I have found that in all the chaos of getting off work and organizing everything for back to school, remembering to go in for that last paycheck can easily get lost in the shuffle.