It’s 2 a.m. Your room is illuminated by the soft glow of your computer screen. You take another sip of coffee and try to keep your fluttering eyelids open. One more paragraph. Your paper is due in 5 hours, and you started last night. As you turn on some more motivational music (in part to keep you awake, in part to give you a small sliver of happiness in these trying times), you silently ask yourself, “Why didn’t I get started on this earlier?”

We’ve all been there.

Meeting deadlines, whatever they may be, doesn’t have to be a tortuous affair though. When life gets busy, procrastinating is such an easy thing to do, especially when due dates seem so far away. Here are my top 5 tips on how to meet deadlines like a pro and save yourself the stress.

1. Don’t give up before you even start.

From my years of experience in student journalism, I know exactly how daunting the pressure of deadlines can be. When the entire fate of your high school yearbook is literally in your hands, it’s easy to get overwhelmed and feel like giving up. Don’t let it phase you. Rome wasn’t built in a day. Neither was your research paper. Take a deep breath and keep on trucking.

2. Assess your task.

The first step to completing any project is figuring out exactly what you’re supposed to be doing. What are your goals in the project? How much effort are you going to have to put in? How much time is it going to take? Thinking about all of these things directly after you receive an assignment is going to give yourself a better picture of how to go about most effectively completing things on time.

3. Set doable checkpoints.

This tip is the one I personally find to be the most helpful with projects that are due more than two weeks away. If this is a long-term project, chances are you won’t be able to complete it in one night. The most effective way to handle these types of deadlines is to set doable mini-deadlines to check your progress and stay on track. Do a little bit of research each week. Write a paragraph every night. Creating and sticking to your own game plan not only helps you do your best work but also lowers your stress on the back end.

4. Save time for revision and review.

Your name is on this thing. You want it to be awesome, right? The best way to ensure that it’s going to be the most awesome it can be is to revise and review your work as much as possible. Even better, have someone else look over it too! Schedule a meeting with the writing center. Go to your professor for help. Nothing is ever completely perfect the first time around.

5. Whatever you do, don’t procrastinate.

I know it’s hard, guys. Everyone does it. But listen, procrastinating on your assignment isn’t going to get you that grade that you want. Even the most phenomenal of students can’t just whip up their best essay in a couple of hours. Creating good work takes time, focus, and dedication. In the end, all procrastinating leads to is stress and halfhearted work. Stay on top of it as much as you can, and you’ll save yourself so much hassle.