Chantelle Boateng, Staff Writer

The excitement of every college student’s semester is when the holiday break is fast approaching. Being able to take a break from their stressful college courses to spend time with family and friends is the highlight of the holiday break for many students, as well as faculty members.

Although many wish for the time off from school to last longer, this is not always the case. As the saying goes, “All good things must come to an end.” The journey back to school for most students can be a nightmare when adjusting to new courses and professors.

Changing back to the academic environment after a long break, in the beginning, can be tough after a relaxing break. Remembering the great experiences spent, campus can make the transition a lot easier for many students. They have a chance to start off fresh and reconnect with friends.

Many students come back from their holiday break with a plan to ensure that their new semester is successful, while others do not. What many students do is making sure that they have all the textbooks required for their classes or making sure to stay organized when they return.

Sophomore and communications major, Nicholas Azubuike, said he is focused on being successful.

“Being positive and staying focused is critical, because once you lose your positivity or focus, it can be hard to get things done, this semester another goal of mine is managing my time to ensure my success in all course,” Azubuike said.

Biology major Liany Jaquez said organization is key.

“Making sure to attend classes and completing assignments is a top priority this semester, without procrastinating and using a planner keeps me organized,” Jaquez said.

As Jaquez stated, a planner can help you go a long way when it comes to being a college student. It allows you to keep your time and assignments organized to get the best grade possible. A planner does not determine success, but the person can strive for success.

Kimberly Etman, the counselor and tutorial coordinator in the office of opportunities said getting things done in advance is always helpful.

“Coming back to school three days in advance, enables me in making sure that the tutoring schedules are complete for the return of students and helping them to make a smooth transition into the new semester,” Etman said. “Another important thing was making sure to complete all time-consuming paperwork, to prevent them from piling up.”

When it comes to time-consuming paperwork, if you do not get it done when you have time, as Etman said, it could pile up creating more work for you. Having a significant workload can become overwhelming, as well as preventing you from completing new assignments that are given by professors.

The primary goal of students and faculty this semester is having a productive year and not a stressful one. Making sure to get everything done ahead of time, to prevent their workload from increasing and causing the semester to become stressful throughout.