Try this scenario. You’ve graduated from high school and moved away from home. Everywhere you look there is something new and exciting to do. You’ve met so many new people and joined a couple of organizations on campus. You and your roommate can always find something fun to do or talk about. Suddenly it’s 8:00 a.m. You realize that you stayed up until 2:00 a.m. and slept through your alarm; now you’re late for class. Maybe you’ll skip just this once. But, you’ve skipped three times already and you’re supposed to have a quiz today. Not to mention you forgot to study right before you crashed. Well, you guess you’ll just make it up later in the quarter.

College life is a time like no other. These days hold some of the greatest experiences you’ll ever have. However, you can’t forget the reason you’re here—to get an education. Balancing school and a social life, and getting used to this new freedom can be really difficult and stressful. But, if you have the knowledge and the right tools, succeeding in college and having the time of your life will go hand in hand.

Keep up with classes. Discovering your learning styles and what you need to do to make the grade should be done early to do well from the start. Establishing a good GPA from the beginning is important. College classes can be intimidating, but learning how to study can help you get through. Louisiana Tech University’s Student Services offers information on study skills and how to acquire them. Also, get to know your professors. Making use of their office hours is very helpful, even if it is just to say hello.

Get good sleep. College can throw your sleep habits totally out of whack, but you’ll soon learn how many hours of sleep you can function on. Being well rested will make you a better student because you’ll be more awake during class—and you’ll make it to class in the first place!

Stress happens. You might slip out of good study habits. You might have a lot of activities going on. You’ll wonder how to get everything done. Dealing with these stresses is part of the college experience. It’s important to know the avenues for relieving stress.

Exercise is a great way to clear your head and get rid of anxious energy – even if for just 10 or 15 minutes. Keeping a journal can also help get it out on paper and release tension. Talking about your problems or stresses can help. Confide in a friend or roommate. Sometimes you might feel like there is no one to talk to. Louisiana Tech has a great Counseling Center with licensed counselors who can help you work through the challenges that are stressing you out.

Finally, a great way to balance everything is to keep a calendar. The Tech bookstore sells daily planners. These are a great way to keep everything organized. You can keep track of class work and tests and also write down extracurricular activities such as club meetings, intramural games, or Tech athletic events. Most importantly, you can plan ahead to stay on track.

Figure out from the start the skills you need to have the best and most productive years in college. Have fun, make friends, and make memories, but keep in mind the importance of school and do your best to give your all in classes.