With the holidays over, classes are back up and running. While there are probably some students eager to get back to work, I’d say most of us are probably going through a transitional period. For the first week or so, your mind is still in break mode and now here you are, going back to work with a brand new schedule.

With time, you will soon become acquainted with your new schedule as you get used to it, but here are a few tips I’ve discovered to help with that first week back to school.

First, it helps to remember that the first few days most likely won’t be too complicated. Unless your course happens to require pre-course work over break, you won’t have anything due the first day. This is your chance to get a feel for what the class will be like and who is in it with you. This is also when the syllabus and/or other course info is given, so you won’t be going into anything blind.

In addition to getting used to classes, you also have time to get used to other aspects of your schedule, like your free time. How much time do you have between classes every day? When is a good time for a short break and when can you have a study session? When and where is the best meal location for certain times? Things like these may seem simple, but it’s true that an organized mind is less stressful than a cluttered one.

Probably the best advice I can give is to get to know your professor personally. I realize we’ve all had teachers we’ve liked better than others, but if there’s one thing I can tell you, it’s that the teachers who I’ve chatted with about things were going were always the ones I felt more comfortable asking questions to. I’m not saying that we should all try to form a strong bond with every professor, but even we see them enough to where they’ll still know our name after the course is over, that’s better than nothing. I mean, don’t you love the professors who try to keep things natural and informal while still being productive? We get to know them better, and we learn more than we would listening to a lecture.

The most important part of establishing a new semester routine is to recognize what works for you. Everyone is different, everyone bonds with people differently, and everyone handles new schedules differently. Whatever best works for you, go for it. Just keep in mind that sometimes making a situation more comfortable means taking a step out of the comfort zone.