Written by: Cosme Lozano

                “Dread it, run from it, destiny arrives all the same.” – Thanos, Infinity War, 2018. Well folks, that quote right there is a sentiment that I’m sure a lot of people feel when going back to school. You shouldn’t have to dread going back to school though. Back to school time is a great time to hit the reset button, and start clean. You have a whole new blank canvas of a school year to work on. If there were any studying tips or habits you wanted to implement, now is the perfect time to do so! Do not be afraid to try new things. It is easy to want to fall back or hide when you have an avalanche of information being dumped on you those first couple of weeks. I want to challenge all of you though to break away from this and just try to get out there. Whether that’s volunteering in your class, joining a new club, or organizing study sessions with new classmates, just try something new.

                Going back to that avalanche of information.. The first couple weeks can be hard at keeping track of everything. For students at USF, I highly recommend you stay up to date and download the Canvas app on your smartphones. With the mobile version, you can always stay up to date by checking your “to-do list” on the app. This list tells you what upcoming assignments are due and when. I have been using this since freshman year of college, and I think it’s safe to say that I check it every day, multiple times. Also, do not be afraid to actually explore Outlook outside of your emails. The calendar function on Outlook can be really helpful at keeping up with meeting times and dates. Most clubs and organizations use Outlook to schedule their meetings, so this can be of great assistance.

                Most importantly, take a step back and breathe. You can be starting your first day of college as a freshman or going into your senior year, it doesn’t matter. We all need to take a step back from time to time and just chill out. Everything may seem crazy and a little confusing right now, but trust me, everything almost always sorts itself out. Do the best you can and enjoy the ride while you’re on it.

                And as always, feel free to come on down to the USF Career Success Center! We are open Monday – Friday, 8 am – 4:30 pm. We offer a multitude of services such as resume assistance, job or internship assistance, interview prep, and much more! Students are free to come in and schedule an appointment at any time. I Hope to see you there!