As you reach the end of the fall semester, you may have realized that the total college experience isn’t always a positive experience.

If you don’t learn the ropes within a couple of weeks you might find yourself broke, stressed and a little more overweight than you were before you left home.

The trick is to learn how to counter these common problems that college students face every day. Five of the most prominent of these problems are:

1. Sleep Deprivation. “Seven to eight hours of sleep are required for the human body to function optimally,” according to the National Sleep Foundation (NSF). The average college student gets that amount about every other day. One of the key problems is the inability to fall asleep faster. You are also more likely to toss and turn if you eat an hour before you go to sleep.

2. The Freshman Fifteen. Significant weight gain during the first semester of college is a common problem. Busy students are less likely to prepare food for themselves, which leads to a higher junk food and fast food intake and ultimately an unbalanced diet. When grocery shopping you should try to buy food that is a little healthier, yet not a hassle to prepare. It could keep you from gaining a severe amount of weight by the time you get ready to finish school.

3. Time Management. Most college counselors will tell you that the biggest problem for students is learning to manage their time. Being organized is key to mastering time management. Some simple things you can do to improve this are buying a planner, keeping a calendar in your room or setting aside certain hours every day to study. This lack of time management comes from newfound independence. If you can’t learn to deal with independence then your college career could end much earlier than you had anticipated.

4. Money Management. Another key skill is learning to manage your money. Most people during their college years don’t have a lot of money to throw around, but you can learn to stretch that money as far as it will go. One solution is student employment. If you think you can work and go to school then Student Employment, located in the UC, offers many jobs, several of which are able to work around your schedule.

5. Substance Abuse. Whether you choose to indulge in alcohol or not, you need to set down clear rules on when and how much. Overindulgence of alcohol is one of the most ignored problems for college students. If you have an 8 a.m. class on Thursday morning, then you probably shouldn’t get smashed on Wednesday night. If you choose to drink, you should learn your tolerance and drink accordingly. Substance abuse is definitely not a solid excuse for getting thrown out of school.

Follow these five simple tips, study hard and get to class and you will succeed in college.