As the days get shorter, many students are faced with the bittersweet reality of another school year. It can be hard to find the motivation to focus on and prepare for the upcoming semester after the relaxed, anything-goes summer, but it’s possible to have the best of both worlds and get an education while having a great time.

Sometimes it’s hard to be optimistic when you know that you’re about to lose a good chunk of your free time and get ready to be as stressed and busy as ever. Even so, looking on the bright side is one of the best ways to deal with the pressure of things like moving into a new place, picking classes that will actually keep you awake, and writing tuition and textbook checks that have more digits than should be allowed in the little $ box.

Starting a new year can be anything from stressful to exciting. Preparations have to be made, you get to hang out with old and new friends, worry about passing classes, and pretty much just making it to the other side with a degree and an amazing experience behind you. Depending on how enthusiastic you are about learning, going back to school can be a relief, sad, exciting, or just bittersweet. No matter what the emotion, though, there are still tasks that have to be completed to make sure the year is bearable. Confronting work head-on can be hard, but finishing it gives you time to breathe and focus on whatever is most important in your personal life.

The things that nobody wants to do to get ready, like paperwork, meetings, time management, etc. are the best things to do right away. If the thought of obligations like these sucks now, it’s going to be a thousand times worse later, so it’s better to just stick it out and get rid of the burden before it ruins the last few care-free days you have left. A lot of times, getting things in order means running around campus from building to building trying to find the right book or persuade a professor or advisor to let you into a full class or find a way to avoid a certain subject and still graduate. Even if you manage the perfect schedule and find all of the needed supplies, it still has to be paid for, which either means finding a job or wiping out your bank account and facing up to being broke again. It’s a hassle, but once it is all out of the way, it leaves more time for more fun planning.

If you have friends who live away from school and went home for the summer, meeting up again is definitely one of the silver linings of the start of the school year. As soon as your crew gets back in town is the time to explore all of your favorite scenes and a few new places too. Finding out what has changed in the campus and nearby areas is a great way to catch up with the friends you’ve missed and to scope out all the hot places to hang out on the weekends. Chances are you’ll cross the path of a few new people too, who can make life more interesting. The more the merrier, and the more often you will have an excuse for a study break or a random night of partying. Going to a show at a club or a bar is always fun and is one way to meet people with the same taste and interests as you. Not to mention, it’s always fun and a great way to support local bands.

The most important thing for a successful year is to maintain a balance between school and the rest of your life. Learning usually comes first, but it’s hard to concentrate on nothing but classes. It sounds lame, but doing schoolwork as soon as possible makes it easier to keep a job, join a club, or just hang out later. If there’s time to do everything, things seem to go more smoothly and that equals less stress.