1. Join a new club

Not only does joining clubs allow you to meet new people, it also helps to build up your resume. Getting involved in a club or organization can be time consuming, but if you’re involving yourself with something you’re passionate about, it should be fun.

2. Keep up with homework

While your professor may assign readings for every class on the syllabus, let’s be real, its quite common that it’s not going to get done if you’re not assigned written homework along with the reading. Past semesters and experiences have taught me that it’s important to keep up with homework because while you may not be expected to do any writing, information from these assigned texts may show up on quizzes or tests.

3. Use a planner to manage time and schoolwork

Without a planner, it’s easy to get stressed or even forget about extra-curricular meetings, homework due dates, test dates, etc. Keeping a planner/ agenda on you during school hours is handy because they allow you to record everything you need to know to get through the week.

4. Use time in between classes to get work done

Judging off my first three semesters at college, scheduling my classes hours apart didn’t really work for me. Just because it didn’t work for me personally doesn’t mean a spread- out schedule doesn’t work for everyone, though. It’s so easy to go back to the dorm in between classes and watch Netflix, sit with your roommates and talk, and sit on your phone, etc, instead of going to the library, so I’ve learned that I’m most successful when my classes are scheduled back to back.

5. Get big assignments done at least a week before they’re due

Instead of waiting until the the night or two nights before an assignment is due, save yourself the stress and get it done early in advance. Not only will you feel better once you get it done, but you won’t constantly be stressed or feel like you’re time- constrained.

6. Strive to earn a higher GPA than last semester

For me, personally, after every semester it’s important to either keep my GPA where it is, or get it up. Increasing my GPA by .3, .2, or even .1 points can help me get more on track to achieving my goal graduation GPA.

7. Limit social media use to two hours a day

The average teenager spends more than one- third of their day, or nine hours on social media. While guilty of this, I can definitely admit that nine hours is way too much. Instead of staring at a cell phone, use those other seven hours to get homework done, go to the gym, or even spend time with friends.

8. Stop eating late at night

Binging late at night is so bad, but for some reason, so many of us do it. When you eat at late hours, your body tends to store those calories as fat, rather than burn it as energy, which leads to weight gain. Instead of binging, you can eat 3 moderately portioned meals and a snack that will keep you full throughout the day.

9. Go to the gym at least four times a week

In order to stay healthy, it’s recommended that college- aged students get at least 150 minutes of exercise per week. This doesn’t mean you have to dread exercising, though. Cycling, walking, yoga, and working out using machines can all contribute to your weekly exercise.

10. Wake up earlier during the week

Instead of going to sleep late and waking up late, try to go to sleep at a decent time and wake up earlier during the week than you would over the weekend. Getting enough sleep is important because when you get the amount of sleep you need, you’re left feeling energized instead of sluggish, which makes it easier to get more done in one day.