At the beginning of the school year, it can be hard to readjust to the grueling schedule the school year demands after spending two months relaxing and watching Netflix. However, it’s important to resist the urge to slack off, as the habits you form during the start of the year can affect your success later on. Here are five steps that can help you start the year successfully.

1. Get organized! Developing good organizational skills early on will help keep you organized throughout the rest of the year. Invest in a planner and use it to keep track of homework assignments, write yourself reminders, and stay on top of your schedule. Find a way to keep assignments from different classes separate – having different binders or notebooks for each class is one good way to do this.
2. Make a good first impression with your teachers – introduce yourself to them on the first day and be respectful during class. Stay off your phone, and make eye contact with them while they are speaking – being an active and attentive listener is a good way to get your teachers to like you.
3. Get involved! Join clubs or sports and find others who share your interests – it’s a great way to make friends and it will make school a lot more fun. An added bonus is that being involved will help boost your college application.
4. Don’t procrastinate! Stay on top of your assignments or they’ll continue to pile up. Break up big projects and work on them a little bit every day – you’ll thank yourself later.
5. Have a good attitude. The manner in which you approach things will affect their outcome – stay positive, do your best, get help if you need it, and everything will be alright.