Step 1: Make a plan

Write out a list of what you want to get done that day. That way, each time you accomplish something, you can satisfyingly check it off your list. Getting to that last task and checking it off is one of the best feelings in the world. Creating the list is just the first step to success! Well, success for the day. Tomorrow...well, we’ll deal with that when we get there. Being a college student means taking everything day-by-day.

Step 2: Find your study spot

Make sure the spot is somewhere you know you’ll be able to concentrate, whether you are the type of person that needs the absolute silence of a library or the type of person that can work in the hustle and bustle of a café.

Step 3: Have all of your materials ready

Pack your bags son, because you’re going on a road trip to the land of productivity and you cannot arrive there empty-handed. Laptop, pencil case, notebooks, textbooks, water bottle, snacks, headphones. All of this and anything else you may need are essential to having a successful study session. Without them, you may feel lost and less inclined to do the work that you originally set out to do.

Step 4: Isolate yourself

I don’t mean to literally isolate yourself. If you need to work alone in order to get stuff done, then by all means fly solo my friend. If you can work well when in the presence of a few people, that’s great too. What I mean here is isolate yourself from everything outside the table you’re sitting at. No Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram and for goodness sake, no Snapchat! You can let everyone know what you’re doing with a picture/video that lasts 10 seconds when you’re doing something a little more exciting.

Step 5: Get going

This is it. You have the perfect study spot, all of the materials you need, and social media locked up for the next couple hours. It’s finally time to get going. At this point, it’s a mental game. You have to motivate yourself to get what’s in front of you done. To do this, think about how much better you’ll feel going to bed tonight, and waking up tomorrow morning feeling accomplished and worrying about one less thing to do. It’s all a matter of setting yourself up for what’s to come.

Step 6: Success

That’s it! You’ve done it. You’ve successfully completed your assignment, successfully studied for that exam, successfully did what you had to do! Let out a sigh of relief and be proud of yourself. Treat yourself with some ice cream, take a selfie for your Snapchat friends, and get a good nights sleep. Today is accomplished, and tomorrow is a new day.