Sadly all good things, like summer vacation, must come to an end.

Each summer, I take full advantage of having a less stressful school schedule. I stay up later, sleep later, spend more time with friends, binge watch Netflix, and have a more flexible work schedule.

I usually take summer classes, but those don’t compare to the work load in the fall or even spring semesters. The transition between summer and fall always seems to be a rude awakening. I never seem to be ready for school to start, no matter how prepared I try to be.

I will be the first to admit my time management skills go out the window during the summer.

I had about 10 summer projects I wanted to do before school started, but the only thing I accomplished was getting through “Breaking Bad.”

If you completed all your summer projects, kudos to you, but I think we can all admit we become lazy when summer rolls around.

Time management, as I have learned, is essential to my academic journey.

However, during the summer, we all seem to forget that crucial fact.

During the school year, most of us are trying to juggle jobs, friends, family, our social lives, church, and personal time in addition to our courses.

According to a study done in 2009 by Associated Press and MTV, around 85 percent of college students feel stressed on a daily basis and 77 percent of students feel stressed about academics.

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, more than 80 percent of college students felt overwhelmed by everything they had to do in the past year.

While some of this is probably not preventable, I believe a large amount of stress could be attributed to time management.

The harder your schedule is, the better your time management skills need to be. Making good grades, working hard and making money are all good things, but if you aren’t taking care of yourself, it could all be for nothing.

According to psychiatry.org, around 33 percent of students felt depressed in the past year.

Depression can lead to other health risks and even substance abuse. Letting your stress control you is not the answer. You have to learn to control your time.

The College Board recommends eight simple tips to help control your time better, which include: making a daily to-do list, keeping work with you at all times and creating a designated study time.

They also recommend to not be afraid to tell people you can’t hang out, finding the time where you are most productive and staying focused.

I have the hardest time staying on track with my work. I often check my social media, start texting, or even turn on the television. I recommend not doing those things and sometimes I even have to make myself turn my phone off.

Another huge factor that affects productivity is sleep. Often, students do not get enough sleep. This plays a role in how much you can get done and the quality of what you do.

We all get stressed out at some point, but I think we should all put our best foot forward and try to start the semester off right.

Being in college isn’t easy, but by keeping your priorities straight, you will make it through.