Knowing how to start a semester strongly can be one of the most important skills to learn during your time in college. After all, the choices you make during the first few weeks (and even days) of a new semester can have long-lasting effects. So just where should you focus your efforts?

　　知道怎么良好地开始新学期是你大学时期学到的最重要技能之一。毕竟，你新学期最初几周(甚至几天)作出的选择会带来深远的影响。那么到底应该从哪儿开始呢?

　　Get a time management system. Managing your time just may be your biggest challenge while in college. Find something that works for you and use it from day one.

　　第一、管理好你的时间。管理好自己的时间可能是你大学时的最大挑战。找到适合自己的时间管理方法，从第一天就开始使用它。

　　Take a reasonable course load. Taking 20 units (or more!) this semester may sound great in theory, but it most likely will come back to haunt you in the long run. Sure, it may seem like a good way to improve your transcript, but the lower grades you might get because your course load is too heavy is a sure way to bring your transcript down, not up. If you absolutely must carry a heavy course load for some reason, however, make sure that you’ve cut down on your other commitments so that you don’t put too many unreasonable expectations on yourself.

　　第二、合理安排课程。一学期选20门课(或者更多!)理论上听起来很棒，长远来看那会成为你的噩梦。当然，多选一些课看起来似乎是一个改善你成绩单的好法子，但是由于课业太繁重，你可能会取得更低的分数，那样会让你的成绩单变得更糟糕，而不是更好。但是如果你因为某些原因而不得不选很多课的话，一定要减少其他的安排，这样你就不会对自己有太多不合理的期许。

　　Have your books purchased -- or at least on their way. Not having your books the first week of class can put you behind everyone else before you even had the chance to start. Even if you have to go to the library for the first week or two to get the reading done, make sure you’re doing what you can to stay on top of your homework until your books arrive.

　　第三、把需要的书都买好。开学第一周没有教科书的话，你还没有真正开始学习就已经落在别人后面了。即使开学第一、二周你必须去图书馆阅览教材，一定要确保你保质保量地完成了家庭作业，直到你的书送到。

　　Have some -- but not too much -- co-curricular involvement. You don’t want to be so over involved that you barely have time to eat and sleep, but you most likely do need to be involved in something other than your classes all day long. Join a club, get an on-campus job, volunteer somewhere, play on an intramural team: just do something to keep your brain (and personal life!) balanced.

　　第四、参加一些课外活动(但是不要太多)。你不想太忙以至于几乎没有时间吃饭和睡觉，但是你很有可能花上一整天的时间去参与那些课业以外的活动。参加一个社团、找一份校内的工作、当志愿者、参与一个校内团队：你需要做点儿什么让学习和娱乐(以及你的个人生活)平衡。

　　Get your finances in order. You may be rocking your classes, but if your financial situation is a mess, you won’t be able to finish the semester. Make sure your finances are in order when you start a new semester and that they’ll still be that way as you head toward finals week.

　　第五、管理好你的财务。你的课程可能会不尽如人意，但是如果你的财务状况一团糟，那你可能无法完成这个学期。新学期开始时确保你的财务状况良好，考试周的时候同样如此。

（编辑：何莹莹）