The first week being back on campus is great! You get to see your friends again and enjoy activities going on, but then something hits you. Suddenly you hear the faint whispering promise of dreaded tests and assignments of the very near future. How are you ever going to make it through this first week?! Simple. Follow these five fool-proof tips to the surviving the first week back at college!

1. Check your email religiously

It is so important! This is how your professors send info about classes, explain assignments and give you your syllabi. Also, you don't want to miss out on fun activities going on around campus! Email is where you will hear about them first! You may be busy and unable to sit and check your laptop email, but you really should. If you can't find time, download the email app your school uses onto your phone. You'll be able to check it on the go and stay in the know.

2. Get your textbooks AFTER doing some research

I am all about saving money and time, so weigh your options when it comes to the bookstore. Yes, it is convenient to buy supplies all at one time and place, but as mentioned in my Back to School Shopping article, sometimes looking at different options really pays off.

Another way to get your textbooks and save a little cha-ching is to wait until after classes start. You read that right! Some professors do not even use the books they "require." Also, ask other students who have taken the classes you are in and see what they did about textbooks.

3. Read your syllabus

It is always better to be ahead of the game than scrambling at the last minute. If your professor has given you a copy of the syllabus via email, take a quick glance over it before the first day. Usually the first week is for attendance purposes and reviewing the syllabi, but why not know a little before you walk into class?

4. Review your schedule and walk around campus

Take it from someone who's been there. You do not want to show up to the wrong classroom and be late to your actual class! I learned the hard way that it is a great idea to walk around campus and find your classrooms before the first day of school.

5. Buy a planner

I don't know about you, but if I do not write something down, I will forget it. When you go to classes the first week, take notes on what the professor says about his or her class. They may mention assignments that you do not want to miss!

So, don't spend your first few days back on campus swamped with anxiety! Enjoy it! Stay focused, don't procrastinate, be organized and you just might make it out of the first week of college alive.