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Your first year in college is simultaneously amazing, terrifying, and empowering. For probably the first time in your life, you don’t have to answer to anyone but yourself. Well, maybe your professors, but for the most part, it’s all on you. While that freedom can be exhilarating, it’s also a lot of pressure.

It’s not unusual to find students behind on chores, skipping classes, or ditching responsibility in favor of social activities, all in the name of their newfound freedom. We’ve put together a few tips and tricks to keep you on track during your first year of college. With these in mind, you’ll be able to be academically successful, keep you life in order, and still have time for a social life.

For Finally Being Your Own Boss:

• Write your schedule down, or put it in your phone calendar (this method comes with reminder notifications — bonus). Either way, be thorough. Schedule everything: set a time to study for each class, a block of time to prepare for your week (think meal planning, laundry, etc.), and some time for exercise. If you live off campus, don’t forget to include time to commute! Try your best to stick to these times.

• Track your chores. Whether you want to use a pen-and-paper planner or a smartphone app, make a list of things you need to accomplish on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis with a “to-do” section as needed. Having all your tasks spelled out will keep you accountable, and crossing items off a list has been shown to release endorphins. You can even sort items by location to minimize your trips on and off campus (or to and from the library).

• Manage your finances. In college, it’s incredibly tempting to treat your bank account as an “out of sight, out of mind” type of nuisance. Being a broke college student is a stereotype for a reason, and it’s all too easy to get caught up in spending money on entertainment and treating yourself when school gets stressful, not to mention the cost of college itself. However, if you want to keep your student loans to a minimum and your bank account balance at a maximum, it’ll be important to make a budget and spend some time twice a month reviewing your finances.

For Tackling Your Academics:

• Take your time choosing a major. There’s a lot of pressure on students to declare their major immediately, but there’s nothing wrong with taking core classes and exploring your options. Your advisor can help you understand how to get from your freshman year to your dream career, even if it involves combining graduate work with a seemingly unrelated bachelor’s degree to make you a uniquely qualified candidate.

• Every grade counts. It’s tempting to write off core classes as basic and not pay too much attention in Psychology 101, but depending on your academic path, slacking off can hurt you down the road. Some degree programs require students to maintain a certain GPA in the first couple years of college before being accepted into the program. Even if you decide you want to return to school after entering the working world, your collegiate GPA will be part of admissions.

• Learn to study early. As soon as you can in the term, find out what study methods help you learn the best. If you wait until the week before midterms to start studying, you’re going to be stressed and have a hard time retaining information. Learning throughout the term is much better than cramming for tests. Find a study buddy in each of your classes to help hold you accountable to your study goals.

For Remembering to Have Fun:

• Make friends near you. Whether you live on or off campus, it’s worth having friends nearby. The essence of college friendships is spontaneity (and the shared stress of college), and proximity lends itself well to spur-of-the-moment plans. Being nearby people you can have fun with will help combat the stress and loneliness that can be associated with moving away from home.

• Join a club or campus group. During your first few weeks of school there will probably be an information fair for all the different clubs available at your school, from the athletic to the academic and everything in between. Look for one that sounds interesting (even if it’s something you’ve never been involved in before) and join up! You may even find yourself in the midst of a perfect networking opportunity.

• Spend time by yourself. College is great for making new friends and trying everything you’ve ever wanted to, but it’s also a time for self discovery and reflection. Making time to journal, listen to music, or just walk by yourself will keep you grounded and tune you into what you’re feeling, be it homesickness, fear of missing out, or an unyielding sense of excitement.

If you stick to this advice, there’s no doubt you’ll conquer freshman year like a pro. With your chores in line and your schedule planned out, studying will be less stressful and you’ll be able to stay on track, leaving time to enjoy the social aspects of college guilt free.