In January, I wrote an article about my then-opinion — “Pete Davidson is the poster child for looks don’t matter” — diving into how looks aren’t a priority at all when it comes to dating. I still think Pete Davidson is a funny dude who’s going through a rough breakup unrelated to looks. Since then, though, I’ve learned the opinion I held was wrong: Looks do matter (somewhat).

The first week of college, whether you are a first-year student or a graduate student, can be very stressful. Many students might like to spend this first week back connecting with friends, exploring the town or going to parties, which is all well and good. But what do these activities and parties really contribute to your life? You can make more friends and decompress before the year begins, but wouldn’t you rather save yourself yearlong stress by sacrificing a week of your time and effort?

In order to receive a bachelor’s degree in professional writing and rhetoric, I needed to take PWR 4377 — the “internship class” that required students to intern while taking the class. This class was awful. I gained nothing from taking it, and it was an absolute waste of my time and money.

It’s a new school year, but not a new you. Don’t reinvent yourself; just work smarter at making this your year. It doesn’t matter if this is your first year on Baylor’s campus, your last or somewhere in between. This is the first truly normal year we’ve had as a collective student body since that one spring break that seemed to go on forever.

Every semester, the first day of classes is always predictable: go to class, find a seat, get the syllabus, leave 10 minutes early and throw the syllabus away on your way out because you will never use it again.

Gearing up for the first week of school can be a challenge for any student. After a lackadaisical summer off from studying, tests and quizzes, it can often be difficult for students to revamp their mindsets to be academically focused.