Starting college can be stressful! Sure, coming in you’re often thinking about the parties and people you’ll meet. I promise that excitement will change when you have four exams in one week and an essay due the same day as two of those exams. Did I mention those exams are worth 25% of your grade?

1. Use an organizer/daily planner

Growing up, my grandmother always carried around this big planner that had everything from birthdays, to appointments, to school concerts. She always told me she needed this book to remember dates in her aging years, however, now I completely understand the importance of keeping a balanced planner! Writing down and mapping out the important upcoming events, be it homework or class schedule, can not only increase productivity but make it easier for you to navigate hectic and stressful weeks. Learn to always check your planner before accepting any event invitations or commitments. Not only do you get to sound very adult when you say “let me check my schedule” but you also avoid any messy last minute cancellations.

2. Schedule social events as well as academic

One of the big mistakes I made when I first started using a planner was that I used it solely for academic purposes. If you look into your planner and see assignment after assignment it becomes very overwhelming and even slightly discouraging. Scheduling in a few hours a week for you to relax, or a party on a weekend give you something to look forward to. Who can be mad that they have to list the developmental stages when they know that at the end of the week they have a hot date.

3. Color code

This is probably the most OCD, girly thing you’ve ever heard but I swear by it. Document your urgent tasks in a color such as red, optional events in green or black, deadlines should always be underlined in a color that pops out, etc. This way, when I compile a to do list on a day that I sent aside for me time and homework, it is easier for me to put specific tasks at the top of my priorities. Another great part of color coding is that you mind has an easier time sorting through and finding a specific color so you can pull out those urgent tasks very quickly rather than referring to your syllabus on each task.

4. Break tasks down

Rather than saying “I will write my essay at 3 pm on Tuesday and hand it in at 9 am on Wednesday” take on tasks such as “Sunday: essay outline, Monday: compile sufficient evidentiary support, Tuesday: compile essay, Wednesday: hand in.” This makes the workload feel much lighter and it feels good when you get to scratch segment off. Sure, if you’re feeling inspired do it all at once, but it’s nice to have the option to spread it out! When you have things such as studying scheduled, use the full time you allotted yourself to do just that! Do not worry about any of the other things on your to do list until that time is up.

5. Don’t procrastinate

I know, so much easier said than done. I am the queen of procrastination but I’ve found something pretty effective. Whenever I know i have an assignment I break it down like listed above and I will not let myself check my phone until I finish at least one of the smaller tasks; it becomes a bit of a challenge against myself to see how many tasks I can accomplish before checking my phone again. Breaking your tasks down and feeling the satisfaction of accomplishing one portion also lessens your desire to put it off.