Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. Some people are really good at sports. Others can sing with the voice of an angel. Some can down 50 hot dogs in the span of 10 minutes. My strength? Organization.

I am an organization freak, and I have been since I was in elementary school. When it comes to school supplies, I am always looking for the best of the best. My notes are rewritten to aligned perfection, my binders and folders are color-coded, and my bulletin board is filled with post-it notes and reminders about upcoming assignments and events. If there's one thing I take pride in, it's my ability to create organization out of chaos.

Now, I know that many people do not share in my love for organizational skills. However, as a college student, it is almost required for one to be super organized, super diligent, and super ready for whatever life throws at him or her. The following tips go out to all my fellow college students out there. A new semester is about to begin, which means it is the perfect time to get your lives together! Whether you're a returning upperclassman like myself, or a freshman just beginning your college journey - these tips should help you stay on top of your assignments and activities throughout the course of the semester:

Step 1: planner or agenda book.

There are thousands out there to chose from, so just look to find one that's right for you! There are smaller planners and bigger planners, ones that go by the month and ones that go by the hour - you'll just have to skim through them in the store! I recommend checking Staples, Target, Walmart, or CVS. If you're looking for something a little fancier, you can try Tori Burch or Lily Pulitzer. Personally, I never spend more than $10 on my planner, because I'm always carrying it around with me and writing in it. I like to use the day-by-day section of my planner to write down my daily homework and assignments by class (color-coded, of course). I then use the month section of my planner to write down all of my big tests, quizzes, papers, and events. Planners are an excellent way for you to carry around your entire life while going from class to class and activity to activity.

Step 2: post-it notes.

I put post-it notes EVERYWHERE. Literally everywhere - in my planner, on my bulletin board, on my dorm door, in my closet, etc. I'm always worried I'm going to forget about something I have to do, so I'm constantly writing myself little notes and reminders. I pin post-it notes to my bulletin board with important dates on them - and each color represents a different class or club. I also use post-it notes to bookmark important pages in my textbooks or notebooks. They're just so convenient to quickly slap somewhere, and the bright colors catch your eye each time you walk by and remind you of what you have to do.

Step 3: color-code your binders, notebooks, and folders.

I can't tell you how many times I've gotten to class and someone has let out a sigh of frustration when they realize they brought their math binder to history class because they grabbed the wrong identical black binder. The solution: get a different color for each class! This way, you know that you always have to grab the red binder for history class. Additionally, if you have, say, a binder and a folder for each class, make sure the binder and the folder are the same color.

Step 4: good quality backpack.

I know: backpacks were super lame in high school. Only nerds and squares (like myself) still carried around backpacks in high school. Well, that all changes in college. Almost everyone carries around a backpack throughout campus - whether your campus is super tiny or massive. A nice, sturdy backpack will allow you to carry around your binders and textbooks for the entire day - especially if you don't have time to run back to your car or dorm room. A good material won't break under the weight of all your notes, it won't kill your back, and it will dry quickly in the rain. I asked for a Very Bradley backpack for Christmas one year, and it was definitely one of my best investments.

I could sit here and write pages and pages of organizational tips and tricks for beginning a new semester of college. But, these are the four that I believe are most important. College is certainly a difficult and stressful time, but you don't want to be even more stressed out by the looming piles of chaotic notes and assignments scattered on your dorm floor or the backseat of your car. Take imitative and get your stuff together! I promise you will feel so much more at peace if your school work is neat and organized and all your ducks are in a row.