Fall semester is without a doubt the worst semester to go to school. You have to get used to your summer going away and getting back into the swing of things and finally reaching the halfway mark full of confidence.

Until you realize — winter is coming and that means nothing but months of amazing holidays that bring the family together and consist of nothing but parties.

Losing your focus day by day will make you debate whether to study for an upcoming exam and finals or just lay in bed with hot cocoa and hallmark movies.

A few ways to help you stay focused on the path that you’re on without losing the motivation are to simply minimize yourself from social media and sometimes family.

Social media is a huge distraction especially when all you are looking at is friends having fun preparing for the holidays or out at parties. As for families, during the holidays they will be all over you with overwhelming questions about your life. Nobody ever said how much time you have to spend with your family and they cannot hate on you for leaving early to study.

Reevaluate your goals by making a checklist of everything left in the semester, including your exams and projects, and go over your syllabus and schedule once a day. Make time to prepare for what comes up.

Do not be afraid to partner up with a fellow classmate, since most likely they are feeling the same amount of stress as you. Maybe that person will be able to teach you a thing or two about the class material which would come in handy for an exam. If you are too nervous to go up to a classmate there are always study halls, and making a new study buddy never hurts.

Most importantly and probably the most difficult thing to do this time of year is to get as much sleep as possible. Try falling asleep earlier and set your alarm earlier that way you can have your morning set with finishing whatever you have to do. Plus, you will probably perform better since you are waking up instead of fighting to keep your eyes open.

For most people all of these things can be a hassle and most would rather just go with the flow, but to encourage you to stay on track of your classes and assignments, do not be afraid to reward yourself at the end of the semester — it is the holiday season.