As the newness of the semester begins to wear off students might start to feel their motivation slipping away. The first few days of class seem to inspire students and get them prepared for the upcoming semester. However, after those first days pass it can be difficult to feel inspired.

Once the quizzes, projects and exams begin to arise, students might feel discouraged. Those who begin to feel discouraged might have a hard time keeping up with school, work and social responsibilities. There are some ways to avoid this feeling and keep yourself on track during the semester.

1) Stay organized – It is important to keep track of assignments, projects and exam due dates. If you know what is coming up and what you need to be working on, it is easier to stay motivated.

It can be easy to fall behind when you aren’t sure what is going on in your classes. Planners, lists and smartphones are your best friend when you’ve got a lot to accomplish in a week.

2) Attend classes – The temptation to miss class only grows stronger as the semester trudges on. Remember this: you are paying for your education here and you deserve to get all that you can out of your classes.

Keep focused on the fact that the semester will be over before you know it, so attend class and learn before you find yourself scrambling at the end of the semester to fill in the missing pieces. It is much easier to keep up with your assignments and projects when you actually attend class.

3) Reward yourself – When you accomplish something and keep on schedule, you deserve a reward. The reward should help relieve some of the stress that comes with being a college student.

Some ideas for rewards can be going out for your favorite food, or inviting a group of friends over to play some games. For those who would like their reward to be a little more low-key, try settling down alone to watch a favorite movie or read a new book.

4) Work first, then play – Each day we have certain things that need to be done. We should start out our days by doing those things that need to get done first, then make time for relaxation.

As the day progresses it can get easier to start to thinking, “I’ll get it done tomorrow” or “This can wait until the weekend.” While these thoughts aren’t the end of the world, they can lead to some bad procrastination habits.

5) Don’t be afraid to ask for help – Last but not least, if you have a project or assignment that is giving you trouble, don’t be afraid to ask for help. It seems that over the years asking for help has earned a bad reputation.  In reality, asking for help is one of the smartest things a person can do when faced with an overwhelming task.

Reaching out for help means that you’ve given thought to the task ahead and have realized that your best bet for being successful is to get someone else involved and get help.