Another semester has started. Hopefully, you woke up on the right side of the bed for your first day back after a hopefully “chill” winter break. Pun intended—maybe. Below are some tips on how to start off the semester on the right foot. Last semester may have been my first semester, but I learned a lot as a transfer student—things I could’ve never predicted. 
1. Sleep deprivation does pay off. But it might ruin your vacations. Just saying. 
There was one night last semester when I was up until 1:30 in the morning and only spent two hours finishing a draft of an essay due the next day. I work pretty well under pressure. And it didn’t turn out too bad. (I got an A on the paper, so the feeling I got after that was worth it). But do be wary of this. It’s as much a double-edged sword as they say about not getting enough sleep in the long run. As a result, I spent every minute of my winter break dissociating when I wasn’t going to holiday parties. Mainly sleeping in absurdly late or reading. 
An article written by Charlotte Hilton Andersen for Shape Magazine describes a study of 500 students conducted by Albion University. The students who were tired in this study performed 20 percent better than the ones who weren’t. Lead author of the study and an assistant professor of psychology, Mareike Wiethe, explained that inhibitions are lowered and you are more willing to consider alternative perspectives and solutions you might not regard in any other scenario. Not to mention, your brain is likelier to wander when tired. 
2. Join a club. 
Trust me. It will help you later on in the semester when you’re trying to get things done but also need to find ways to see people and have some semblance of human contact. Even better if it’s a club where you have to hold yourself to a deadline. But it’s okay to take a break if you need one in either case. Just don’t waste that student loan or parent’s dime holing yourself in at home with your books. Sure, the good grades are worth it, but the college experience can be so much more. 
3. “80 percent of life is showing up.” – Woody Allen 
When I wasn’t in class, I was at The Mass Media, doing more homework than socializing. But it was my library, so to speak. If you’re going to be on campus every day of the week, find other places besides the library to hang out where you can get work done but also socialize. Of course, this may not be the best idea if you’re too much of a social butterfly and need the stuffy, silent solitude of a college library to get things done. 
4. If you can, get here even earlier than you have to. 
By the time midterms came around the corner, I was burnt out. Some days I didn’t want to come. But I made myself take earlier buses and trains to get here so I wouldn’t just get here on time, but also grab a cup of coffee and give myself at least a couple of hours before my first class each day. My family thought I was crazy for this, but my GPA only benefited. 
5. Take care of yourself. 
Of course, none of the above is possible if there’s no you to do this in the first place. Take breaks, but don’t over-indulge when you find yourself getting stressed. Treat yourself as many times as you want. Last semester, I called my Thursdays #TreatYourselfThursdays. This day was the closest to the end of the week, when I was just done and tired enough for the small but big pick-me-up. Cinnamon rolls were my vice those days. Just do something different at least one day of the week to show yourself you’re surviving the semester!