1. Use Google Calendar (and make sure you update it)

This tip is placed at the top for a reason. When I started using Google Calendar, I went from "wait, there was homework?" to the go-to person to find out when something was due. Being organized and planning things out takes more time, but it's extremely rewarding, especially for one's mental health. Not gonna lie, ever since I started using Google Calendar, I've been feeling way too accomplished. It makes me feel like I'm a genius who's also enviably organized. Like I'm Gus Fring from Breaking Bad or something.

I linked my phone calendar to my school email calendar, so I'm able to easily access it whenever I want to. I also color coded everything (you need to go on the website and create separate calendars for this, by the way) so I can have some fun with it. It took me some time to totally set up my calendar, so I would highly recommend putting everything from your syllabus onto it as soon as you have time. You don't need to limit your calendar to classwork either. I'm still figuring out how to live on my own, so I have to remind myself to do basic things like eat meals, shower, and do laundry. Whatever works best for you.

2. Write down the practice problems and also the pictures of the whiteboard on your phone.

The practice problems are tedious and get repetitive, but I've found that they're a very valuable tool for understanding the material -- sometimes even better than the explanations themselves. In particular, it is very beneficial to write down the practice problems for your math and science classes.

For some reason, teachers find nothing more delightful in life than erasing the whiteboard as quickly as they can so nobody can write down anything on time. By this point, most of us just take pictures of the board, but those pictures tend to never actually be looked at again. To make sure that doesn't happen, try to quickly write down the notes from your phone. It's not a good idea to put it off, but if you need to, try printing out the photos instead of re-writing them on your notebook. As long as all of your notes are in one place, it doesn't really matter how you get there. Your notes should be as organized as possible -- it'll save you a lot of time in the future.

3. Study alone AND in groups

I always hear people, especially teachers, recommending forming study groups. Study groups can be very helpful in some aspects and for some people, but they're really not for everyone. For those of you who are introverted, you may find that study groups are more distracting than helpful, especially since side conversations are inevitable. Additionally, when you rely on study groups, you rely on collaborating with others, which is actually a bit of a problem. Tests generally aren't taken in groups, so you need to be able to find the answers to problems without the assistance of anyone else.

That being said, study groups are also very helpful, and completely neglecting studying with others can end up being a problem. If you've ever said to yourself, "I would have scored better on this test if our teacher actually knew how to teach", then you should definitely start going to more study groups. I know this is difficult, but try to study with people who stay on task with you. It's a trial and error process, but studying with others can eventually be very beneficial. Not to mention that they tend to make the studying environment much happier.

4. Make homework as enjoyable as possible

I like to go the library to study, and listen to my favorite songs on my headphones. I wouldn't advise listening to music while reading something though, but it certainly makes things much more fun if I'm doing math homework or something along those lines.

I know that I personally have a tendency of making assignments seem much more difficult than they actually are. Try to remind yourself that homework is just a tool to practice the material you learned in class. In addition, to make homework less stressful, it's really helpful to not procrastinate. I know, I know. Procrastination is an extremely difficult habit to break (mainly because it technically works), and virtually every student has already been told not to procrastinate. But doing things in a timely manner is really helpful if you're the type of person who gets a lot of anxiety over assignments and tests. It basically is a reassurance that even if you don't understand the material now, you can always go back to it the next day.

One of my teachers told us that we should treat school like a 9-to-5 job, doing as much as we can until 5pm so that we'll have the rest of the day to ourselves. I'm not even going to pretend like that's a realistic goal. However, if you do have some free time between classes, you should absolutely get to working on some assignments then. It really helps me, especially since that allows me to go to clubs and events without feeling guilty or stressed out.

5. Remember to eat and drink fluids regularly

It's 11:55pm, you're in the middle of a difficult math problem that is taking an entire page to solve, and you feel a migraine slowly building inside your exhausted brain. That's a pretty clear sign that you need a break. An actual break, not a 15 minute phone break. To truly "reset" yourself, you should eat and drink something that you think will keep you going. If your library has a cafe (I know both libraries at NC State do), then I would highly recommend getting something to eat or drink from there as soon as you start to notice your work slowly decline. Often times, this will be when you tell yourself, "I think my brain is worn out from today, it's time to go home". Now, if it's 3am, then maybe you should go home. But if it's a normal study hour for you, then you should try and get some food and water first and then see how you feel. I'm not going to say that you shouldn't get coffee because it affects people differently. Personally, I like to get orange juice because it gives me enough energy to keep going without messing up my heart rate. But it's honestly up to you. Your brain needs some sustenance to keep you going at the same rate you were when you started.