Books. Financial aid. Dropping classes. Adding classes. Refunds. What do all of these have in common? A deadline.

There’s something new students need to understand (and returning students to some degree): It’s YOUR responsibility to make sure you understand when deadlines are and for what, because if you don’t know that, you could find yourself in a financial bind. For example, you bought the wrong textbook but weren’t aware until Oct. 4, you probably won’t get a 100 percent refund. If the bookstore decides its damaged, the most you can even expect is 50 percent of purchase price.

There is no set deadline for financial aid paperwork, but there are fees you can accumulate by not receiving financial aid by the first month of school.

Adding classes becomes more difficult as time passes, because students fill them up. The longer you wait to register, the harder it will be to get in. Dropping classes can be costly if you wait until Oct. 8, as you won’t be able to get a full refund after the Oct. 7.

Fortunately, there are resources for you to find all the information you need on deadlines on the campus. Talk to someone in financial aid. Talk to someone: a counselor, your teacher, even your fellow students. The hardest part of college is the juggling act, but if you keep your ears and eyes open, you’ll find things aren’t as complicated as they seem.

Most people are ready and willing to help you, especially people in charge of departments. Also, an excellent resource is the school literature we all have laying around somewhere, like the Fall Course Schedule. The bookstore will be more than happy to tell you about their refund traps in exact detail.

Remember, a deadline is only a problem when you aren’t aware of it.