1. Check in with your University

Let’s begin with what should be your highest priorities: checking in with your university. These are the tasks that, if gone undone, you will not be attending college for very long. They may be no-brainers but if you get them out of the way now, you won’t have to worry about deadlines later.

• Sign up for classes: Obviously, before you begin your semester, you should be enrolled in your classes. This is done months in advance but be sure to have this on your radar! Classes can fill up quickly so be sure to know what classes you will need to take, what time, etc.
• Finalize financial aid: Be sure that before classes even begin, you have your financial aid and/or payment plan all set up for your school expenses to be completely covered. This may require you to notify your school about any incoming scholarships, accepting/denying any federal loans or grants, etc.
• Pay for tuition: On top of setting up your financial aid, be sure to have your tuition PAID FOR! Many schools require that you manually pay for your tuition through your scholarships and loans, while others will automatically take out the given amount. It is your responsibility that tuition is paid for so check your account!
• Buy a parking pass or transportation pass: You will also need to make sure that you have reliable transportation to get to class. Buying a parking pass early is super helpful so you can beat the parking office rush. If you aren’t planning on using your own car, many campuses will offer cheap/free public transportation, but you will have to pick up your transportation pass.

2. Begin Planning out the Semester

Now that you have the vital tasks done, it’s now time to begin planning for a successful semester!

• Create a semester budget: College is expensive, let’s not make it worse by not sticking to a budget, shall we? Be sure to create a realistic, yet manageable budget to stick to for the semester. Create a goal, such as spending less than what leftover scholarship money you have. 
• Create semester goals: In addition to budgetary goals, you should create school and personal related goals for yourself for the semester, such as running every day, finishing with a 4.0 GPA, or landing a summer internship. If you’re looking for some tips on eating healthy in college and meeting your fitness goals.
• Craft a new vision board: With your new goals in hand, you can begin to create a gorgeous vision board. Vision boards are great ways to remind yourself of what goals you want to achieve and why.

• Check in with your yearly resolutions: While you’re working on your goals, it is also a great idea to check into your yearly resolutions as well! Perhaps at the beginning of the year, you decided you were going to lose 15 pounds. Have you done that yet? If not, what can you do to get there?
• Create a comprehensive class/work/personal schedule: At this point, you should have all the information you need to create a weekly schedule. Pull out a sheet of paper or a computer spreadsheet and write down the hours of the day down the left-hand side, and the days of the week along the top. Now, begin filling in your class schedule, then your work schedule, personal schedule, and any other regular weekly appointments you may have. Now, you can begin adding any rough time blocks to your schedule for when you can focus on your goals! For example, you can block out the mornings for workouts, perhaps some afternoons for studying, and so forth.
• List out your routines: Finally, it can be incredibly helpful to create routines before you begin the semester. This may be a productive morning routine and/or a relaxing evening routine.

3. Syllabus Preparation

By this time, your professors have hopefully published or sent out your class syllabus. If you don’t have all of them just yet, use the ones you have.

• Print and read through all syllabi: Be sure to print off your own copy of each class syllabus and READ IT! Things to note: class objectives, grading scale, textbook, materials, and assignment/class calendar. Be sure to note your next exam and what you will be covering on the first day as well.
• Create grade trackers: Grade trackers are a great way of keeping yourself accountable for your semester goals. This can be in the form of a line graph or just a log of assignments and grades you have received.

• Organize your planner:Now is a great time to pick up a planner. Planners are a great way to keep all of your events, deadlines, and tasks in one great location. Be sure to add birthdays, anniversaries, travel, holidays, and any other upcoming events you may have.
• Add school registrar events to your planner: Be sure to add your school’s registrar calendar to your planner. This will include the days your campus is closed, first and last day of the semester, when tuition is due, when to sign up for next semester’s classes, etc. If you have a meal plan, don’t forget to add what days the cafeteria will be closed.
• Add class assignments and due dates to your planner: With your syllabi, add all of your deadlines, exam dates, dates you should begin to study for exams, labs, project deadlines, essay deadlines/plans, extra class meetings, etc. to your planner.
• Create a master assignment list and tracker: Finally, create a master assignment list for your classes. This is my favorite way to stay organized throughout the semester. The best way I have found to do this is to create a spreadsheet with the deadline, assignment, and class all listed. Then, you can sort the assignments my deadline to be able to know exactly what needs to be worked on next!

4. Restock Supplies

Now it’s time to begin preparing your supplies!

• Buy any new school supplies: Okay, I’ll totally admit this is my favorite part of semester prep. Get into your backpack and desk and take a quick inventory of what school supplies. Here is a quick list of my favorite supplies:
  • Zebra Dual-Tip MildLiner Highlighters 
  • Staedtler Triplus Fineliner Colored Pens
  • Tulle Retractable Gel Black Pens
  • Staples 1.5 Inch Better Binder
  • Five-Star Reinforced Filler Paper
  • Colorful 3 inch Post-It Notes
  • Oxford Grid Index Cards
  • Travel Sized First Aid Kit  (Seriously, if you don’t have one in your backpack, go grab one, they are super cheap and I can’t count how many times I have had to use it!)
• Organize and prepare your binder: Be sure to organize your college binder or file folder so that it is ready for the first day. Be sure to have a section for each class, then within those sections, a place for your class paperwork (including your syllabus), notes, exams, labs, projects, etc.
• Pack your backpack: Now, be sure to pack your backpack! Include everything you will need for the first day (even if it is a week away). This way, you will not have to worry when the time comes. Don’t forget to include your first aid kit , binder , pens , calculator, a phone charger, water bottle, pen case, class materials, class schedule, planner, snacks, an extra set of keys, some spare quarters for vending machines, and, any extra prescriptions or various items you might need in an emergency.
• Pack for College: If you plan on moving before you start classes, be sure to also pack up all of your belongings and prepare to move!

5. Prepare for Classes

You’re almost ready! Just a few more things to do. These tasks will help you prepare for a college semester in the classroom, and give you a jump start on your material.

• Research and purchase textbooks: Be sure to check multiple websites before you order your textbooks. But also be sure to order them WEEKS in advance. They sometimes take over a month to get to you.
• Begin project planning large projects: Check your syllabi to see if any of your classes have major projects during the semester. If they do, begin planning them out now!
• Check your school email and online system: Sync your school email with your regular email. You can either forward all your emails or just add your email system to your phone’s email app. Then, be sure to check it regularly! Also, check in with your school’s online portal for any major tasks you might need to do.
• Skim the first chapter of your textbooks: Be sure to skim at least the first chapter of each of your textbooks (or first chapter you will be going over) and take a few notes on it. This will give you a HUGE jump start into the semester!

You’re Ready to Go!

Well, now that you have read what you need to do, it’s time to take action! Be sure to begin getting ready for your next semester soon! Happy prepping!

Thank you all for joining me on this journey! Looking forward to what this year brings! Thats all for now! See you in 2 weeks! Sunday January 31th! This is Cameryn Hodges signing off for now!