For most college students, school starts in just a few short weeks. I go back in about four, for some early things that I help with at my college. I keep thinking to myself, "Where did the summer go?" Well, the next step is getting all your school stuff together, and enjoying the last little bit of summer.

Soon enough, in four weeks I will be moving back into my dorm room, back to one of my favorite places, and starting a new year with some awesome roommates. Each school year, we all expect so much, and we all want to accomplish so much. It might start with academics, athletics, music, theatre, or even making new friends. We always have so much energy when it comes to the start of the school year, that may be because of all the new stuff we get. But here is the million dollar question: How do we stayed motivated throughout the school year?

Top Five Tips on Staying Motivated:

1. Keep a planner:

This may seem a little weird, how can having planner keep you motivated? Well I am here to tell you if you have a planner, and have EVERYTHING written down of what you are doing and what you need to do. It will make sure you are on track, and making sure you get the most out of your day. Also if you are a girl, planning can be really fun. You can decorate it, color code it, and put motivational stickers to keep your head up throughout the day.

2. Decorating:

So decorating your space can instantly make you feel productive and motivated. When you first start with decorating your space, start with where you spend the most time. I spend most of my time doing work at my desk, so that is where I put the cutest décor. When you have pretty things to look at, you tend to feel productive. Like your space is put together, and when you have a put together space you have put together school work.

3. Keeping things Clean:

Having a clean space surrounding you is good. It actually helps you feel less stressed and more put together. Now, I am the first to admit that I do not have a clean space all the time (especially at home). When you are in a tight dorm room though it's nice to have a place for everything, because you are working with such a small space. So when you come back from a long day you can just relax and not worry about a mess to clean up.

4. Write everything down: To-Do lists are your best friend

Staying motivated is hard, especially when you need that nap around 3 o'clock to make it through your late night study sessions and homework. If you have a set To-Do list for that day then you know everything you have to accomplish. Sometimes I even put "eating" and "taking a shower." That might be intense for some people, but hey sometimes we run out of time and forget. So making sure you have everything on track can keep you less stressed and more motivated.

5. Make sure you have fun:

Now with all this school work, athletic practice, concerts, rehearsals, and clubs make sure you make time for yourself to have fun! If you keep a good balanced schedule I find that makes students the happiest. It makes sure that you aren't under to much stress. That's when we tend to lose interest in school, because we aren't having fun.

I hope these top five tips help your school year go a little easier, and keep you motivated. School is important, and making sure you're doing your absolute best during these years is worth it. I know some people don't start, but I know a lot of people go back really soon, so I wanted to start this mini series to help out new college students, because I was that student last year.