By Reneé Gasbarre

Welcome back, Cougars! It’s nice to finally return to campus after that never-ending heatwave of a summer. While you’re working on memorizing your new routine, here are a few tips to help you stay afloat this term:

Wash your pillowcase: You spend about eight hours a day with your face pressed into your pillow, which gives bacteria and oil plenty of time to settle into the fabric. This can result in acne popping up at pretty much any given time, even if you wash your face before bed. An easy way to combat this is
to throw your pillowcase into the wash at least once a week to keep your face zit free.

Finish tasks early: Everyone, especially at the start of the term, has at least some time to themselves. That’s the perfect time to clean your dishes or start that assignment that’s due next month. Yes, it’s tempting to do it later, but you will save yourself so much time and energy in the future if you get some work done now, when there’s nothing else to do.

Remember your mental health: Everyone likes to say that college is the time to party and “put yourself out there,” but that doesn’t mean you have to go to every event or stay out late every night. Believe it or not, there’ll be more parties. There’s nothing wrong with having time to yourself or to work on something else.

Talk to your professors: One of the great things about Chatham University is the small class sizes. Use that to your advantage and reach out to your professor if there’s something you don’t understand or if you’re having trouble outside of class. They want you to pass, so let them help you.

Keep a water bottle on you: Hydration is extremely important for not only your health, but also for keeping you focused during the day. There’s plenty of water fountains around campus to fill up a bottle with, so get an affordable one at Target or the bookstore and keep it in your backpack.