We’ve all done it: crammed for a test because we didn’t feel like studying the week before, scribbled down a sad attempt for a rough draft of a paper because we decided to binge watch Netflix, and stayed up insanely late trying to read 3 chapters of your ancient history textbook before your 8 a.m the next morning. Here are a few tips to keep in mind to avoid the 2 a.m homework-cramming session.

1. Get a planner.

By getting a planner, you can map out which assignments are due by what day, and it can make all of your homework seem less daunting. By pacing yourself in the assignments you have to do, it can make completing them seem a lot easier, you’ll be more prone to get them done. You’d be surprised how some organization can define your work load and how much easier it will seem after you lay out all of your responsibilities.

2. Work on your assignments a little bit throughout the day, rather than all at once.

It can seem a little overwhelming to throw all of your homework in front of you and then force yourself to do it. The idea of this makes us procrastinate and convince ourselves that we can get it all done in the small window of time between classes the next day-- which we know isn’t true. Break up your work load and do a little bit at a time. Give yourself a fifteen-minute break after reading a chapter of your textbook. Do one of your Spanish assignments before lunch and do another one after lunch, etc.

3. Try getting a different work space.

We’ve all made the mistake of telling ourselves that we’ll have no problem studying in our rooms with our friends. “I won’t get off topic. They’ll help me focus.” Ten minutes later you find you and your friends jumping on the bed and belting Disney songs. Been there, done that. Instead, try telling yourself that you want to be able to have fun with your friends without your looming homework assignments hanging over your head, so you should probably study in the library, the lounge, or some other less-distracting work space. You’d be surprised how much of a difference it makes when you have a quiet area to work.

4. Start your homework session with the biggest/hardest part of your assignments.

Do not save the hardest for last. By the time you get done dong two hours of easy homework, the last thing you want to do is a twenty-page book outline over the skeletal system. By finishing your toughest work first, you’ll most likely feel like you’re on a roll, and the rest of your homework won’t seem nearly as difficult.

5. Quit thinking about all of your homework and just do it!

Taking the first step is the hardest part, but I promise you that if you just get started, it really won’t be that bad. It may be a lot of homework, but if you put down your phone, grab a cup of coffee, and go to a pleasant work space, you’ll get your work done faster than you expected. Just remember that the quicker you get it out of the way, the more fun you can have later when all of your homework is done.