Now that it’s Friday, most of us students at Eastern have been to all of our classes and have started to build our expectations for the coming semester.

The year is young, and we at The Daily Eastern News are feeling much more refreshed than we did at the end of last semester. We hope you are feeling the same.

However, the pressure and stress is bound to come up at some point for most students.

That is why we at The Daily Eastern News recommend using the energy you have now to do the best you can in school, take care of yourself and hopefully start healthy habits that will make the rest of your semester easier to manage.

That means getting into the rhythm of brushing your teeth every day, showering regularly, eating healthily, going to the gym and performing other self-care tasks.

Mark due dates on your calendar now, and start making weekly to-do lists so you know what you have to get done and when.

You remember how bad it got last semester. So, don’t lie to yourself and think you can put off all of your assignments this time.

Perhaps we are being too optimistic, but we believe that this new year is a great opportunity to slow down and not rush through assignments or wish every class period would end sooner (not that everyone does this, but for most people it usually ends up happening for at least one class, probably five).

Logically speaking, trying to get the most from our classes is how we will obtain the most enjoyment from them. This is also how we can have an easier semester and get the grades we want, since we ideally cared enough to learn all the information in the first place. If we have to go to class anyway (and yes, we do), why not try to engage and learn?

We understand it is difficult to form habits, and when stress happens, it can be a downward spiral.

But it is a new semester and a new year, and we just got finished with a decently sized break. So, before it’s too late, get started on the right foot.

Your future self will thank you.