Hi everyone. The new semester is here, which gives you a brand new chance to absolutely crush it. Here are 69 tips you can use to ensure you have the best semester yet!

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Best-selling success author Stephen Covey says that you should always begin with the end in mind. The best way to start your semester by writing out the goals you want to achieve by the end of it. What grade do you want in each class? What do you want your semester GPA to be? You can use this GPA calculator  to help you figure it out! For more goal setting advice, see The Blank Grade Sheet Method.

This includes things like exams, paper due dates, and other major assignment due dates. Watch for weeks when you have a lot of deadlines that overlap, and come up with a plan for tackling them in advance!

If a professor's teaching style isn't a good match for your learning style, try to switch to another class! Other good reasons to drop classes are if the time doesn't work for you (8AM, etc...), or if you don't think you'll find it interesting. Stuck in a class and can't change?

Don't worry! You can still have a good experience if you keep a positive attitude and an open mind!

See Also: A Stealthy GPA Killer: Distortion of Perception - How some of your classmates are "hallucinating" away their GPAs, and how you can avoid this trap!

Just like the add/drop date for classes, most schools have a "trial period" for meal plans. If you think you'll need to change yours, make sure you know when the deadline is! 

Try getting at least 1 notebook and folder for each class, pens, pencils, white out, and erasers. I also recommend getting a pack or two of cheap manila folders, and a packet of blank printer paper to use as scratch paper. In addition, having your own stapler will be a huge help. If you keep it in your backpack and carry it with you at all times, I guarantee you'll make tons of friends fast if anyone needs a stapler during class!

If your campus has an activity fair, it's worth checking out! This will be a great opportunity to see what's out there. You'll get to talk to club members and ask any questions you have. If nothing else, there'll likely be free food and t-shirts. Not a bad deal!

For more on joining clubs, See: How to Succeed in College: 7 College Life Hacks for Freshman and Sophomores

Along the same lines as the last tip, consider running for a leadership position in a club this semester! Whether you go big and run for club president, or run for a smaller position, this could be a great experience for you! 

Getting involved in your local community is a great thing to do. You'll have many opportunities to meet new people, have fun, and build up your resume, all while making a difference for others!

Challenge yourself to get out of your comfort bubble and meet at least one new person. Even if it's as simple as introducing yourself to the person sitting next to you in class, you could end up meeting your next best friend (you never know, right?)

Unless you're planning to stay in undergrad for an extended period of time, you only have 4 years to work with. If you're an incoming freshman, you should meet with your advisor ASAP. If you're an upperclassmen, this is even more vital! The truth is that obtaining anything worthwhile in life will require some planning beforehand. Yes, you can and should go after your dream career, but without an effective plan in place, you'll inevitably fall short.

The same can be said about a new diet routine, even if it's just for general health purposes and not necessarily for weight loss!

See Also: 10 Budget-Friendly Foods that Boost Brain Function

This way you'll have the times handy for when you go to office hours (you are planning to go this semester, right?). 

If there are any noteworthy locations nearby where you go to school, now is a great time to check them out before your classes pick up! 

Believe it or not, this one will come up more a lot more than you think. It's a good idea to write this down or ideally memorize it. You'll need this to list your return address whenever you send a letter out. Also, obviously you'll need your address if someone wants to send you a card or if you order a package. 

Some campus mailrooms will send outgoing mail out for you, so check and see if yours will. If not, find your nearest post office, or look for a blue mailbox. 

We all love getting checks, but sometimes we procrastinate on cashing them. Most banks won’t cash checks after a 6 month period, so if you get a check, make sure to cash it ASAP rather than stuffing in a drawer somewhere for later!

It’s a new semester, which means a brand new start. Make the commitment to yourself to keep pace with what’s going on in class rather than letting yourself get behind and trying to play catch up later. If you do this, I guarantee you’ll thank me for it later!

Story time. Once when I was taking a calculus class and I got an exam back, I was angered to have lost points on a question in which I couldn’t remember the topic even being covered in class.

I opened my class notes and skimmed through them, and sure enough, I had drawn a big question mark with a circle around it in my notes next to an almost identical problem. From that point on I’ve made it a point to always try to fill in gaps in my understanding ASAP, and I recommend for you to do the same!

One of the best things about college is that you’ll have the opportunity to attend talks given by distinguished speakers. If you want to get the most out of your time in college, make sure you go see at least a few speakers who you don’t think you’ll agree with!

Find speakers who will challenge your thinking or even “trigger you”, not just speakers who will talk about things you already agree with. Once you graduate and start your career, you’re going to have to work with others who you occasionally disagree with. This is a great thing! Diversity of ideas is what moves society forward. If you don’t challenge yourself, you won’t grow as an intellectual, or as a person!

Assuming you’ve already established your major, it’s a good idea to start learning who the different people in your department are. Along the same lines as 25, attend as many events within your department as you can!

No one likes getting locked out of their room, especially when you’re in a towel! Take special care to get in the habit of not doing this to yourself!

This one might apply more to freshman/transfer students than to upperclassmen. Staff members at the Offices of Admissions, Financial Aid, Housing, etc… will most likely need your student ID number to look you up if you ever call about an issue. It’s worth knowing this number!

Most businesses only take public calls until 5PM Monday – Friday. Your university may have some kind of 24/7 tech support help line, but calling them at 11:00 at night to resolve a financial aid hold that’s preventing you from scheduling a class when there’s only one open spot left will do no good. These matters MUST be taken care of during business hours, and this means BEFORE 5:00PM! I wouldn’t even recommend calling at 4:45. The earlier the better!

If your school does have a 24/7 tech help line, it’s worth saving their number in your phone.

Most universities and businesses have already adopted multifactor verification, and if yours has, make sure you know how to access your student accounts. Don’t just learn how to do it on your cell phone. If your battery dies, you’ll need another way, so call your school’s tech help desk and ask them about alternative methods to be prepared.

New semesters go hand in hand with overflowing inboxes. Although it’s a pain, make sure you go through your inbox because some of your emails will be important! This is a good habit to get into anyway, especially before classes. If your professor cancels class, you’ll save time by not walking all the way there to find out!

It can only help you to have an idea of the health services your school offers, and where to get them!

Think about how you spend your time on a daily basis. Are there any daily activities you do that you could do without? New semesters are a great time to rid yourself of time wasting activities that serve little purpose. 

Just like your student ID number, your social is very important (probably even more so). If you don’t know yours yet, now’s a great time to memorize it!

When I was in undergrad I was on my parent’s health insurance. You probably are too (and why not, right?). Your college’s health center should cover your basic needs. But if you ever have to go to a clinic, dentist, optometrist, or the emergency room (God forbid…), you’ll need to know exactly what kind of insurance you have. If you have an insurance card, simple enough. If not, talk to your parents. Find out what plan they have, what benefits you get, when your eligibility dates are, and what the member # and group #s are. Some people think that they can just look up what insurance you have at the doctor’s office. Without at least knowing what your plan is, they probably won’t be able to. Just a tip!

Disclaimer: I’m not a financial expert by any means! I don’t give financial advice because I’m not qualified to do so. Please consult with a qualified financial planner/expert before you make any decisions about applying for a credit card! 

I just wanted to talk briefly about credit scores though, because I think most will agree having bad credit can really hurt you. Simply put, your credit score is a number that lenders use to predict the likelihood of you paying a loan back. Higher credit scores signal lower risk. You can go on the Credit Karma website anytime and check your credit score for free there. Please note that credit karma isn’t the only option. I’m just recommending them because it’s one of the most popular choices!

I’m now going to tell you about something I did to work on my own credit score. Before I do, let me remind you again that I’m not a financial expert! Don’t take financial advice from me! I just want to share what’s worked for me in case you’re interested. You are solely responsible for your own financial decisions!

I started by applying for a secured credit card through Capital One. Secured just means that you have a limit to what you can spend. My starting limit was $200 a month. They say on their website that paying your bill on time each month and spending as little as possible on the card (keeping a low “credit utilization rate”) are 2 of the biggest factors for raising your score. It worked for me to bring my score up. 

Each week, pick the 5 most important things you have to get done, and do them! Write a checklist with each of the 5 goals. Break them down into smaller steps if you need to. A great time to do this is on Sunday nights before the week starts. 

Building on #43, establish a Sunday ritual in which you slow down and take some time to review your priorities and get organized for the next week and month. And also take some time to relax! 

Cal Newport from Study Hacks has talked about the important of Sunday rituals on several occasions. Check out his article Follow a Sunday Ritual.

Hopefully you got the grades you wanted to last semester. If not though, now's your chance for redemption. Get out a blank sheet of paper and make a list of 30 things you could have done better. Trust me, this is a lot harder to do than it might sound. You'll likely surprise yourself with the insights you gain!

When I was in undergrad,  I would make a new playlist each semester made up of whatever kind of music I happened to be listening to at the time. Make an awesome playlist of your favorite songs as of right now. Play it daily to make starting your day fun!

Why not?

By this I mean lists of people you think you might potential use for references or letters of recommendation in the future. Never stop building positive, constructive relationship!

I’ve heard some advertisements claim that sitting is the new smoking. While I don’t know if I completely buy this comparison, agree too much sitting is harmful. Sitting for long periods of time causes the glutes—one of the body’s “workhorses”—to deactivate. 

Sitting also shortens your hip flexors and hamstrings, which causes back pain and postural issues.

If this isn’t enough to motivate you to start getting out of your seat more, consider this: studies show that people who sit for long periods of time have an increased risk of death from all causes, even if they exercise frequently. I know, pretty scary right?

On a more positive note, you burn at least 30% more calories when you’re standing up versus when you’re sitting down. If weight loss is a goal for you, keep this in mind!

Whenever you need to clear your head, try a nature walk!

Letting go of anger and resentments from the past takes strength. Sometimes it can even take courage. I can assure you though that whenever you forgive someone, it makes you feel a lot better afterwards. It might be wise to avoid certain people who are hurtful. You don't have to be best friends with everyone. But you can still forgive and forget. No matter what they did to you, the negative feelings now belong to you. Let go of the past, and I guarantee you'll have a better present. 

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