Despite what you may think, you do not know it all. You most likely never will, and you shouldn’t. But there are things, small things, that can help you out if you know them from the get-go.

Don’t over pack your backpack. Keep binders at home with all of your notes for the semester. Don’t carry everything with you all the time. Clean out your backpack once a week. Make sure every ounce you’re carrying matters. You don’t need a couple pounds of gum wrappers and half-empty water bottles weighing you down. Avoid a sore back and protect your shoulders.

Using your locker is not worth it. Odds are, your locker location is half a mile and a staircase away from most of your classes. Lockers, like backpacks, also collect useless clutter. A week-old lunch does not need to sit and rot under your binders.

The freshman center cafeteria is not somewhere you should run from. When you become a sophomore, you’ll probably make trips to the NGC to grab a burrito or lasagna. The Chap Court lacks variety. Don’t let its reputation and smoothie bar tempt you.

Get a stylus. You won’t look like a nerd. When you’re assigned a worksheet in history, you’ll be happy you coughed up five bucks to avoid writing with your finger.

Anything to increase your efficiency and ease the pain is completely worth the effort. Don’t stress, it’s never as bad as you think. Enjoy it while it lasts — it’ll be over before you realize.