I recently started school as well and was in the exact situation that you described ... Oscar had only been without me for very short periods of time, and I wanted to make sure that the new schedule was as minimally traumatic for him as possible.
Like you, I have a large crate that I keep him in while I'm in class. I put his bed, food, water dish, a couple favorite toys and his litter box in the crate with him. The first few days he cried so pitifully when I put him in the crate and walked away - it broke my heart! I've found that it helps to give him a really chewy treat (like a dental bone) to keep him occupied for a few minutes and to cover the front part of his cage so he can't see me leave.
He has adjusted really well and doesn't cry anymore when I leave the house. He spends his crate time sleeping and is a bundle of energy when I get home, so we've been spending LOTS of time outside in the afternoons!
As someone else said, you also might try putting something in that smells like you. I'll occasionally leave the radio on as well so it's not so quiet and lonely in the house.
I wish you the best of luck! What will you be studying? |