I don't know about you, but I like to consider myself a pretty organized person. Like any other college student, however, I know just how challenging it can be to stay on top of things. Some people are so quick to say that time management skills are of the utmost importance if you want to succeed, but for most, it's much easier said than done. One minute it seems like you've got all the free time in the world, and the next minute you're wishing there were 30 hours in a day because there is no way you'll be able to make it to that Sports Network meeting AND still have time to finish your English paper, lab report, Photoshop project, and your next Odyssey article all in one night!

But I digress...

If you struggle with organization, here are the 3 best pieces of advice I can offer you.

1. Write everything down.

Write it somewhere and write it NOW. I've gotten in the habit of keeping Post-It notes handy whenever possible, setting notifications for important dates/times in the Reminders app on my iPhone, and carrying a day planner in my backpack at all times. The act of physically writing things down helps keep them in the forefront of my mind, increasing the likelihood that I'll actually remember what I have going on. If it's something extremely important, I'll even go to the length of marking it on my whiteboard calendar - yes, whiteboard calendar - so that if all else fails, I won't be able to ignore the bright pink letters spelling out my daily events as I walk out of my dorm in the morning.

2. Check your University e-mail.

At this stage of the game, I find it shocking that so few people check their e-mails on a daily basis. I aim to peek at my inbox at least four times throughout the day, plus whenever I have a little extra down time. To get into this habit, add it to your social media rotation... you know the one. You might be surprised at how many reminders, invitations and announcements land in your inbox on a daily basis. Sifting through these messages periodically can prevent excessive clutter and aid in identifying events that you want to make time for. So while you're cycling through Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Snapchat, add a fifth app to the list; MAIL.

3. Adopt the "If I'm not ahead, I'm behind" mentality.

This is the main thing that keeps me on my toes. I have a slight tendency to procrastinate, so in order to prevent myself from falling behind on assignments, I start on them as soon as I possibly can. In my experience, this builds a steady momentum, making me feel like I have to get work done sooner than it's actually due.

I hope that at least one of these tips will make a difference in someone's daily routine! If not, don't be discouraged. What works for me isn't guaranteed to work for everyone. Keep working toward creating habits that are effective for you!