What are you planning on doing Tuesday, November 8th, 2016? Going to class? Hitting the gym? Heading to the library to write that paper you've inevitably procrastinated on? You know, normal Tuesday activities. While all those answers may be true, you should probably add this to the list: voting in the 2016 presidential election.

Although the election is eight months away, you might already be sick of hearing about it. Your Facebook newsfeed is full of long, politically charged rants. Twitter has become a jumble of retweeted memes featuring the candidates. Arguments are popping up on every social media site between people who want you to "Feel the Bern" and those who want to "Make America Great Again". Often this is the only exposure to the election that we have. We see a random quote attributed to a candidate and without looking for context or validity we become enraged. We hear part of a tax plan that a candidate has from a post on Facebook and rush to support them without looking at how they are going to implement it, or what their other policies may be. Many of us truly do not know who the candidates are, what their beliefs include and details of the plans they have to create a better future for our country.

For many of us, this is the first presidential election we are old enough to vote in. A few weeks ago one of my professors asked us who we thought was going to win the election and why. While some of the class had interesting responses, others didn't even know the names of all of the candidates. Students in my class admitted that they probably weren't going to vote because they didn't know enough about the election to have an opinion or they didn't feel like their vote mattered. This last sentiment is far from the truth.

In the 2012 presidential election, only 41.2% of youths aged 18-24 voted. However, this demographic had a significant impact on that election because at least 80 electoral votes depended on the youth vote. If young people did not vote in the last election, there is a good chance that we would have had President Romney for the past four years. The young vote does have an impact on elections and we should be working to increase the number of young voters at the polls. Despite what you may think, your voice does matter.

Trying to figure out which candidate to side with and where to find information about the candidates can be overwhelming. Here are three places to start:

1. Check out iSideWith

This website provides voters with a 66 question political quiz that asks your opinion on economic issues, social issues, environmental issues and more. Once you finish the quiz, the website will match you with a presidential candidate whose beliefs align with yours.

2. Watch the Debates

Although spending two hours watching presidential candidates speak does sound boring, these debates are important ways to become more knowledgeable about the candidates. They are an easy way to see how the candidates' views differ and they can give you an unedited view of the candidates and their true personalities. Check out the debate schedule here.

3. Look at what the Candidate's Campaigns Have to Say

You can do this by clicking through each candidates' campaign website, following them on Twitter and looking through their Facebook page. Here you will get information straight from the campaigns themselves that you will be able to form your own opinions on. You can find a list of the candidates with links to their social media accounts here.

Don't stop there! There are so many ways to get involved and make sure you are informed when it comes to the presidential election. So decide which candidate is the best for you and your personal beliefs, follow the election using many different sources, and make sure to vote on November 8th.