One Stop Student Services has flooded your University email and your academic responsibilities are creeping around the corner. This only means one thing: spring semester is here. 

Finding the drive to get organized and stay motivated throughout the semester is one of the biggest challenges of coming back to school. Luckily, the Minnesota Daily’s Editorial Board has you covered. 

One of the best ways to start off the semester is to develop a consistent sleep schedule. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, people aged 18 to 60 years old need at least 7 hours of sleep. The amount of sleep you get contributes to your overall mental health and well-being — both of which affect your academic performance. Creating and committing to a sleep schedule will also help you get to those dreaded 8 a.m. classes. Between homework, class and social events, finding time for sleep is hard. Sticking to a routine will make things a whole lot easier.

Another way to keep yourself organized is to buy a planner. Creating a study schedule and keeping track of all your tasks and assignments are essential. When you’re a college student, life can get busy. Having a physical reminder of the work you need to complete might make it easier to get the job done.

Schedule times for you to be unproductive. It may feel like it’s expected to be constantly working while in college, but setting aside time for breaks is important. Has your mind ever felt fuzzy after studying for hours? Take 10 minutes to do something relaxing. Pay attention to your procrastination habits, set a time limit for your breaks and use an alarm. 

Make friends in your classes. It may be daunting for some, but getting to know other people in your classes is helpful when creating study groups or catching up on missing assignments. Not only will you stay on track with your classes, you will expand your social circles by meeting people you may never have gotten the chance to know before. 

Utilize your professors’ office hours. Professors may seem scary and unapproachable, but most of them love getting to know their students. If your schedule allows, make time to head to your professors’ office hours — especially if you are struggling in the class. Not only will you get the help you need, but you will make a useful connection that could help you get recommendation letters for graduate school or references for the job hunt post-graduation. 

Good luck, Gophers, as you return for your final semester of the academic year. Finding the motivation to get back into your daily routine might seem a bit difficult, but once you get back into the groove of it the semester will be over before you know it.