It’s that time of year again when the beginning-of-school post-summer vibes end, and the real work begins. Sure, your teachers were nice and light with the workload for the first month of school, but now the assignments, homework, and tests are piling up. If you don’t have a good strategy to get things done, you’re in for a real nightmare. Here are a few tips on how to actually get stuff done.

     First, figure out how to organize your assignments. Do you like Google Calendar? Google classroom? Your phone calendar? A physical planner? Everyone is different so you might need to try a few things before you find a way that works for you. I like the satisfaction of physically crossing things out on paper, so I use a checklist. 

     Second, carve out time in your busy schedule for homework. It’s easy to get caught up with your friends, phone, or any other distractions, but it’s important to form good habits before you try to break bad ones later. And, yes, we all have responsibilities, some more than others. Whether it be a job, sports team, family member, or all of the above, finding a balance is the only way to get things done. 

     Third, once you sit down to actually do your homework don’t let your phone distract you. Set a timer for however long you think you need and chuck your phone across the room, don’t look at it until the timer goes off. Or make a list of all the assignments you have and once you submit each assignment reward yourself with ten minutes of phone time and then move on to the next assignment.

     Finally, there’s no shame in asking for help. If you really don’t understand an assignment, staring at it for three hours isn’t going to make it any easier. Before we get overwhelmed with this year’s workload, let’s take a minute to form good habits and set ourselves up for success.