While some students party it up after move-in, others sit at their desks preparing for the most insane semester of their lives—one that involves… the dreaded credit overload! (Dun dun dun!) It can be overwhelming to take on 20-something credits for the first time, but fear not! You will survive just as I did, and in the end you will feel immensely proud. To help get you through this challenge, I–a seasoned veteran of credit overloads–am happy to provide you with some tips to make it out of this semester alive!

1. Don’t take on more than you know you can manage.

If you are already signed up for a credit overload and feel so overwhelmed that you never have any fun, you can always drop a course or two before the end of your school’s add/drop period. Test drive your schedule, see how it goes and if it’s too much, you don’t have to do this to yourself! You can always take classes in the summer, so don’t stress if you can’t knock out all the requirements for your degree during the semester.

2. Get organized.

A clean and efficient environment helps me, so you may find it helps you too! Having a designated place for everything makes it easy to get out the door on time without forgetting anything. If you are like me, under stress your memory seems to disappear. So, having a place for everything is key to not wasting valuable time. You don’t want to spend an hour trying to find your keys!

3. Find your study space.

If you know that noise and clutter distracts you from getting work done, remove it from your space, or go find a space that best suits your needs. I have found that the quiet floor in my school’s library provides me with a great environment to concentrate and knock out all my homework assignments.

4. Make a schedule.

This one is extremely important. With so much going on, you’re going to forget what you need to do if you don’t make a schedule. Have a planner or an app to remind you of assignments and events. Set deadlines for yourself and meet them. Set aside an entire day to complete a list of assignments. Procrastination can’t exist if you’re taking a credit overload.

5. Set aside some R&R time!

Set a few designated rest and relaxation times throughout the week. Wednesday nights are “American Horror Story” time for my friends and I, and no work can invade that time. Give yourself some time like that each week to look forward to. It’ll really help you to take each week one at a time.

6. Become one with coffee.

If you aren’t a coffee drinker, now is the time to become one! Coffee is not bad for you in moderation. One cup of coffee (black is best) will help you stay awake, alert and focused when you need to complete a ton of assignments.

7. Eat a balanced diet.

Eating a well-balanced diet will help you to be the best you can be! Instead of those chips, try eating some carrot sticks! Be sure to eat a ton of leafy greens!

8. Treat yourself!

While eating healthy foods is important, if you did really well on that test that you spent hours crying about during your study session, get some ice cream, chocolate or whatever your favorite treat is! It’s okay to indulge after some hard work!

9. Get outdoors.

This one is kind of difficult at times where I go to school-- since the winter is practically arctic conditions with sub-zero temperatures-- but I still try to get some sunlight when I can. Getting some sunlight and breathing in the fresh air really helps to alleviate cabin fever— which, by the way, can happen to anyone who is indoors for long periods of time. Go outside for at least 30 minutes a day! (Get out of the music building, music majors!)

10. Sleep.

I don’t know about you, but my grades clearly correlate with the amount of sleep I get. Since I started setting a strict bedtime for myself, my grades have skyrocketed! Try it. It’s magical.

11. Plan some outings.

It’s nice to get off campus once in a while! Plan a day trip on a Saturday or Sunday. It doesn’t have to be far. It could be going to the mall, hiking a nearby mountain or taking a walk along the beach.

12. Remind yourself why you're doing this.

Never lose sight of your goals during your stressful semester. After taking a credit overload, you feel almost invincible. It gives you even more confidence that you’ll be able to handle anything that comes your way after you graduate.

Good luck, everyone! You can do it!