Being back home for the holidays, with our tremendously missed family and friends, was a much-needed break for the vast majority of us college students. Greeted with lots of smiles, laughter, and warmth, my heart was filled with joy as I returned back to my hometown this past month. Having had such an incredible time with my loved ones made it even that much harder for me to transition back into my second semester of freshman year. However, I'm back, and reality doesn't wait for anyone to recognize that it exists. So here are three simple ways that I think all of us could use in order to have a strong and successful start to the beginning of this new semester!

1. Do NOT Procrastinate

The foremost thing that I learned after my first semester of college at Marquette is that college is NOT high school. Late night cram sessions while watching Netflix simultaneously, procrastination until the period before the test, and simply not even having to study worked so well for me in high school, but that is definitely not the case now. And in college, "syllabus week", also known as blow off week, does not actually exist, my friends. Professors will take about half the class, sometimes even less, to go over the syllabus and then you dive straight into the material, head-on. So, point being, don't fall behind and as you've all probably been told a number of times, keeping up with your studying a little bit each day truly does pay off in the end when you don't have to pull all-nighters every night the week before finals.

2. Get Out Of Your Comfort Zone

As an incoming freshman at the beginning of the school year, I was given this piece of advice numerous times. However, it not only applies to freshmen in college, rather it's something that all students should really take time to consider before the start of every new semester. As students begin to acclimate to their surroundings and grow accustomed to the people they surround themselves with, going out of their way to meet new people seems irrelevant. However, I personally believe that that is a very unfortunate choice that people make. One of the greatest aspects of college is being able to live in a community with such a diverse group of people, and that should be taken advantage of. Take a moment out of your day to talk to that new international student, or sit next to the kid who always keeps to himself in lecture. You could learn a great deal about someone and even form a lasting friendship. And on top of that, you'd probably make their day, which to me, is one of the most satisfying feelings ever.

3. Treat Yourself!

One of the worst possible things you could do to yourself this semester is immerse yourself into your academic life. Yes, while school should be everyone's top priority, that doesn't mean you can't have a life outside of it. Instead of cooping yourself up at the library on a Friday night (which I, myself, am very guilty of doing so), take some time to hang out with your friends, say yes to that cute guy who asked you out on a date, or even just watch Netflix and order a pizza for yourself (which is my ideal Friday night). Taking a break from school is necessary for everyone, especially for your mental well-being. And, also, it's nice sometimes to simply just kick back, relax, and not have to worry about your doomed future. Just kidding--I hope all of you beautiful and brilliant people have an incredible rest of your semester. And just remember, during those times you're going to feel overwhelmed and unable to manage everything that life's throwing at you, Winnie the Pooh's Christopher Robin says it best, "You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think." Never give up on yourself.