My freshman year of college was 11 years ago, which is a horrifying realization to make. Add that to the fact that i’m writing this before starting a busy day of work conducting compliance audits when it’s 95 degrees out and there’s no AC. Things are great, I swear. But we all grow up, we all move on, and college becomes a distant memory. During those magical four years though, you tend to pick up a bit of wisdom on how the process works. Dos and Don’ts if you will. One of the most important aspects of shaping the time you have at college is your class schedule. Going in as a freshman I had no guidance. Sure, they give you guidance counselors, but mine wound up forgetting I was 3 credits short on my minor and I had to take a summer class post grad. So who can you trust, really? Well i’m here to give you freshman out there some expert advice on how to design your fall semester schedule.

1) For the love of god, do not take 8 am classes. I know you’re coming from high school where the day starts earlier, but trust me, the only thing you’re doing is setting yourself up for disaster. One of the most basic concepts that somehow gets lost when you’re making your schedule is that this is college, and you WILL be drinking excessively. Sometimes on nights you don’t even expect.

“Tipsy Tuesday? What’s that?” – a dumb college freshman somewhere

The point is, you never know when alcohol and your friends may strike, so plan ahead and don’t let those fun nights ruin your morning.

2) Avoid classes that are more than twice a week. Most colleges have the Monday/Wednesday/Friday cycle, three times a week for 50 minutes. This is my advice to stay away from that nonsense. Twice a week, either the evening Monday/Wednesday or the Tuesday/Thursday schedule. Hell, go for the once a week if you can. Save your time and energy and show up to something less.

3) If possible, give yourself a three day weekend. Now, you’re probably thinking this means Friday, Saturday, Sunday. That’s not a terrible thing, and if if it works for you, use it to your advantage. My advice however is take the Monday off instead and this is why. You’re in college. Productivity on a Friday is going to be shot regardless of whether you’re in or out of class. Even most professors run their Friday classes a bit half-ass. It’s almost the equivalent of showing up to study hall sometimes. Fridays and Saturdays rule, go have some fun. Now Sunday is where things normally get tricky. If you have shit to do on Monday, you’re most likely cramming on Sunday. Congrats, you just played yourself. Why waste a perfectly good weekend day, especially when there’s football to be watched and wings to be consumed. Kick your shoes off and relax, you’re not an adult yet so don’t set yourselves up for the Sunday Scaries way earlier than you need to in life, because let me tell you they are the worst thing on planet earth. Now you have Monday free to get all your work done while everyone else is busy with class. 10 points for Gryfinndor.

4) Do not sleep on night classes, especially mid week. I know this isn’t for everyone, but hear me out on this. You are eventually going to have to take a night class if we’re playing the odds. Better to get used to them early so it stings less later. Usually these classes have some of the older crowd in them too. You’ll run into people taking part time classes, trying to earn their degree after a hard day of work. A noble pursuit. You’ll also run into lots of seniors who need those last three credits on some nonsensical course to satisfy an elective requirement. My point is that some of these older folks are probably taking better notes in class than you’ll ever take, so not a terrible idea to make a buddy in case you feel like blowing off a class, which will start happening more and more once you figure out which professor’s don’t take attendance.

5) Try and be social. Class is where you’re going to meet most of the people you spend time with the next four years. You don’t have to be best friends with your roommates. This doesn’t really apply in the beginning of college, but as the years roll on, try and schedule classes with your friends. It makes the time fly by and you’ll eventually get some laugh out loud stories like my friends and I did (especially if the class is an acting class.)

So I say to you today college freshman, enjoy it while it lasts. Make memories and make smart decisions. And to all you college alum, please let us know if you think we’ve missed anything via Facebook, Twitter, etc. We’d love to know what tips and tricks got you through that first semester of college.

Being a spinoff of arguably the most critically acclaimed show in history cannot be an easy task. Breaking Bad was a juggernaut, one that slowly built over 5 seasons to one of the most satisfying conclusions I have ever seen. After the show took it’s final bow, rumors swirled of a spinoff, focused on the criminal lawyer sidekick better known as Saul Goodman. Rarely do these off shoots work, a victim of trying to recreate a magic that some would say is best left alone. This is not the case with AMC’s Better Call Saul. Entering it’s fourth season last night, Saul once again proved there’s still something special occurring in the deserts of Albuquerque.

*****If you’re not caught up, please stop reading here. Spoilers for last night’s introduction. I’ll let you know when it’s safe.

Season 4 picks up with the everyone’s favorite Cinnabon employee Gene being transported to the hospital after passing out in the season 3 premiere. Tests are run with the verdict being a false alarm. Gene is discharged, but not before an over-talkative receptionist grills him for his driver’s license and social security number, both of which seem to keep being rejected by the hospital’s computer system. The panic sets in for Gene, aka Saul, aka Jimmy, who is hiding out in Nebraska after the events of Breaking Bad. Tension builds and just when you think the jig is up, the system accepts the information and Gene leaves for the cab waiting to bring him home. This is where things get even better. Overcome by the anxiety of the scene that just unfolded, he notices that hanging from the mirror of the cab is an air freshener label Albuquerque. The cab driver’s eyes peer into the rearview, which might as well be straight into Gene’s soul. He asks for the cabbie to pull over, which he does so reluctantly. Who is this cab driver? Does he just recognize Saul from his billboards all over Albuquerque, or is this something more nefarious? Gene exists quickly and the cab doesn’t pull away. It lingers, as we the audience wait for whatever is about to happen next. Cut to opening credits.

*****END SPOILERS

Better Call Saul manages to tell it’s own story outside of the Breaking Bad world. Yes, there are a ton of characters from both series now present, including Mike, Lydia, Gus, the Salamancas, Tuco, Victor, and so on, but never has a spinoff been so well executed that it is easily on the same playing field as the original. Patrick Fabian and Rhea Seehorn as Howard and Kim are absolute geniuses in their craft, giving some of their best performances to date in last night’s premiere. AMC is so confident in Saul that it was already picked up for a fifth season.

You’ve all officially been put on notice, get to watching Better Call Saul if you haven’t already. I truly consider it to be the best drama on television, and it deserves to be seen.