Dig out your backpack and twin XL bedsheets because it's time to head back to the dorms for -- no no no no, don't say it -- school. Oof. Fortunately you have syllabus week, aka the first week of classes when professors don't actually teach anything, to ease you into college life.

Syllabus week is secretly one of the most important weeks all year, because what you do during those precious seven days of semi-freedom -- no studying! no assignments! ? -- can make or break the rest of your semester. Here's what you can do to ensure college survival:

Go to class

While it's tempting to skip your 9 a.m. classes to stay in bed and nurse your hangover, don't. Chug some Gatorade and get your butt to lecture, because you won't know how terrible (or how awesome) your professor is until you see 'em in action. If they're less than great at teaching, you can switch into another section and find that rare, prized prof who doesn't grade on a curve.

Actually read the syllabus

Duh. This isn't high school. Your professors aren't nice enough to remind you when there's an exam coming up. It's your responsibility to know when things are due. Speaking of which...

Put your exams and due dates on a calendar

Do this during syllabus week itself. Record your major assignments and exams for all your classes in your planner, GCal, iCal, whatever. Then compare. Do you have two finals on the same day? Do you have three exams, a term paper and lab report due the same week?

If your assignment schedules overlap too much, make your life easier by saving one of those classes for a different semester when there's less on your plate. Syllabus week is the ideal time to make those course schedule changes, but you won't know what changes to make if you don't know when your exams are.

And if your class schedule has zero flexibility? At least you know well in advance which weeks are going to be your hell weeks. ?

Figure out which textbooks you actually need

There's always a list of textbooks you need for a class. When you read -- not skim, READ -- the syllabus, you'll see which books you need to memorize front-to-back and which ones you only need one page out of. Buy the books that are critical to pass the course and go halfsies with a classmate for the less important ones.

Or skip them completely. You do you.

Go to extra classes

I know, this sounds absolutely insane. Why on earth would anybody willingly subject themselves to extra class time?! Bear with me. The extra few hours you put in for this one week could mean a more manageable 17 or so weeks for the rest of the semester.

Going to extra classes or different sections of the same class lets you pick the lab with the TA who has the most knowledge grades the easiest. Just like you shop for clothes, you should shop for classes and keep your options open until you find the ones that suit your lifestyle (and course requirements) the best.

Set up your dorm

Once classes get into full swing, you won't have time to buy that shower caddy or "Animal House" poster or extra towel or whatever stuff you need to make your dorm feel like ~home~. Get yourself settled in now before your schedule gets too hectic.

Make an effort to remember everyone's names

If you're in a small class, introduce yourself to everyone and consciously register their names. Once you're two months into the class, it'll be wayyy awk if you refer to that girl who sits next you by the wrong name. It's a good rule of thumb to know a person's name before you need to know their name.

Also, if you know your classmates' names, you can easily hit them up on Facebook for notes when you do inevitably miss class. The glorious freedom of syllabus week sadly doesn't last for long.