Here we are again. Back to this beautiful university that we call home. And I can't even believe it. It seems like just a few weeks ago, I was back at home for the summer, with boat loads of fun planned; I was going to get up early, start working out again and find a great new job for the summer. I was going to practice playing various instruments, take a few road trips with friends and even look into taking summer classes to get ahead for my next semester.

I'm sure all of us had our own list of things to do, and we all probably discovered the unfortunate reality of summer: No one gets around to every last thing on his list. In my situation, I ended up at the same low-paying camp counselor job as before; I didn't take any classes, and I didn't really get around to working out much.

Sure, I didn't totally waste my summer; I'm sure we all got something done. But many of us planned more than our summers had time for. That's perfectly OK though. Summer is better spent relaxing at the beach and taking in the sights and sounds that make going to school again seem so terrible.

But now, we're back. And as much as I thought I'd hate it, it feels great. Walking around the student neighborhood and seeing so many smiles, feeling renewed freedom from parents and just seeing the campus again all feels great. And as I passed through Humanities Plaza during Up the Orgs and checked out all the different extracurricular opportunities, I realized that it's time to get involved and get some work done.

Just as many of us did at the beginning of the summer, it's now time to set some goals for the semester. We need to expect the best of our own academic abilities and step up our efforts to make the most of our time here. Better organizing class notes and assignments into folders can help. So can using the syllabus that the professor gives you on the first day to plan study times for tests and quizzes. And it couldn't hurt to write down your weekly schedule somewhere and put it where you'll see it every day. This will allow more free time to join an extra-curricular, run to the RecPlex to work out, or to study and meet with friends.

We have such valuable opportunities at this university. Everything about the campus is pretty and the facilities are extremely useful. But if we plan ahead and ready ourselves for the year, we can make so much more out of it. Summer was refreshing, and it's always hard to see the end. But it feels good to be back, doesn't it? We're all going to have a phenomenal year, and I know that everyone is excited. Let's get the year started and have an excellent time doing it.