You did it. You’ve survived the first few weeks of school. You held your head high through hasty move-ins and tearful goodbyes, and prepared for the daunting fall semester with excitement.

Now, as the novelty wears off and you settle in for the lengthy grind of the fall semester, a new challenge presents itself — to find ways to maintain the healthy lifestyle you’ve established.

There’s no one-size-fits-all plan, and it never becomes easy, but we asked several students what strategies they’ve used over the years that helped them find their rhythm to survive and thrive in college.

Find a balance

While it’s easy to get caught up in the chaos of college life, finding a consistent balance is paramount to success, and it’s vital that you give yourself time to mentally and physically recharge.

“I think freshman year, I’d go into phases where I’d not be doing any work, or where I’d only be doing work and isolate myself, so I feel it’s a balance,” said Helen Anil, senior in LAS and ACES. “Have time to study, have time to study with friends and have time to just have fun.”

Another key to fostering a healthy balance is placing an emphasis on time management. Prioritizing this technique can help keep a slew of other healthy habits alive and well.

“In college, I really wanted to push myself to get involved, but not to have it damage my school work,” said Dominique Farag, sophomore in LAS. “So I really tried to push for time management and plan out my days and schedule so that I would be able to accomplish both.”

Allow yourself to fail

Even if you’ve got a sterling track record and are used to success, be open to allowing yourself to fail, even when it comes to implementing and maintaining strong habits.

Even academic veterans like Atharva Sathaye, graduate student in Information Sciences, still struggle with maintaining the habits that have garnered them success.

“Make a schedule — but I’m not very good at following it,” Sathaye said. “But even if you have it, you know what you have to do.”

So, no matter how used to succeeding you are, just remember that occasional missteps are part and parcel of the human experience — and that’s okay!

Reach out to others

When it comes to establishing and sustaining successful habits throughout the taxing college experience, there are as many viable solutions as there are people. You just need to find the ones that work for you, and sometimes asking others is a great place to start.

“Just talk to people and reach out to them, and don’t be afraid to do so,” said Cynthia Lombaida, senior in LAS. “Ask what worked for them — maybe it’ll work for you.”

Never give up!

Above all else, remember that there’s never a good time to throw in the towel! The more days you chug through, even if you feel like you’re struggling to maintain the habits you set out to establish, the easier things will get, even if you can’t see it.

“As you go on, it gets easier,” Farag said. “I felt such a difference second semester of freshman year from first semester, so I think just as you go on, you maintain those habits and become more confident in yourself.”

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