With classes starting next month, it’s never too early to start preparing. It’s important to be fully ready for your first day of classes so you won’t be stressing out during the first week.

First and foremost, look over your class schedule and read the all the syllabi. Reading the syllabi will remind you of what books and supplies you need to get. They will also will be your life saver because they contain all the deadlines and assignments for the whole semester. Finally, they always have your professor’s contact information as well as when their office hours are, which is really helpful.

Additionally, it is crucial that you purchase a planner, calendar, or notebook, giving you a place to keep track of your assignments, exams, deadlines, and more. After reading your syllabi, mark the deadlines and due dates on your calendar. By marking these important dates ahead of time, you will be fully aware of what is happening in each class and you will be able to start studying several days in advance.

Next, create an organized list of the books you need, making sure to write which class each book is for right next to the title. Most people tend to purchase books after classes start, but if you want to be prepared, it is important to purchase your books ahead of time. However, make sure to keep the receipts in case your professor says you actually won’t need a certain book, in which case, you would need to return it. In addition to purchasing your books, make sure to purchase all your school supplies. Decide whether you want to use binders, notebooks, or both for your classes.

Purchasing your school supplies early will prevent you from having to go last minute shopping when all the supplies are sold out. Make sure to stock up on pens, pencils, and loose-leaf paper, as you are bound to need those for all your classes.

Next, in order to figure out your availability for each week, take your class schedule and block out the times that you have class. Try using a different color for each class. This is an easy method that will allow you to know when you’re available, making it easier to make plans with your friends. If you participate in any extracurricular activities and you know what times you will be meeting each week, be sure to block off those times as well. Lastly, it is always a good idea to block off some chunks of time to study or do homework. Block off an hour or two on your schedule every day so that you will be fully dedicated to doing your work. If you end up not having homework one day, you can use that time to relax or run errands. Blocking off time to do homework prior to the first day of classes will give you an idea of how busy you will be each week.

Another important step you should take has to do with getting back into your school routines. To get in the habit of waking up early for your morning classes, start setting an alarm a few weeks in advance, making it easier to wake up early once classes start. If you live on campus and have an 8:00 am class, try setting an alarm for 7:00 am each morning. If you live off campus, then calculate how much time you need to drive to school, making sure to consider traffic, and plan your alarm accordingly.

Finally, to be fully prepared for classes, you should get a head start on learning some of the material. Reread your syllabi to find out what you’ll be learning in each class. Then, try to familiarize yourself with those subjects, possibly by reading a chapter or two from your textbook. This will let you know what areas may be difficult for you and what you may need to focus on.

Hopefully these tips will help you prepare for the upcoming school year. Although it’s still summer and classes don’t start for another month, it’s never too early to start preparing for a successful school year.