This semester will be my first experiencing balancing work and classes; however, I know that I will manage these treacherous times. If college has taught me anything, it's that I can earn Dean's List and still bask in the presence of my friends as they shotgun beers every weekend. Knowing this, I assure you that there is enough time in the week to sleep, work out, have a job, have fun, and study.

These are the most important things to remember in order to have an awesome year while working.

1. Plan your days hour by hour.

You don't have "all day" to get your sh*t together; you only have 24 hours. Some of those hours will be allotted to basic daily activities like bathing, eating, sleeping, etc. Studying consumes. Cooking healthy food and working out sucks up time. We haven't even mentioned class or work yet.

To manage this, keep a journal with daily, weekly, and monthly tasks at view. Create times for these activities. Stick to the schedule you manufacture. Hell, schedule time to drink and go out with your friends, too. With 24 hours in each day, it's totally possible to plan ahead for everything you need to accomplish.

2. Be assertive about how much you are willing to work.

Don't let your boss be a d*ck. Don't let your scheduler guilt trip you into picking up more shifts because you're understaffed when you have multiple labs to attend. Don't work overnights if you have 9 AMs. Stand up to crummy management because you, your time, and your services are valuable.

Pro tip, for every hour you work, you ought to spend an hour studying.

3. Save your money.

The best part about working in college is that you'll have extra money to treat yo self if you invest wisely. Use some of your paycheck to pay off loans, stow away some of it in savings, and use the rest to cover lab fees and books.

Don't blow your money on booze or makeup all the time. If you're smart about the money you earn, you can save up enough to take a chunk out of your grad school tuition, get a nicer living arrangement, or even travel.

4. Have a "work hard, play hard" mentality.

It's cheesy, but let this be your motto. Adult life is all about balance, so remember that every grueling shift you work can be neutralized by a crazy party. Every boring lecture can be turned around by having a hype (albeit productive) study group.