It’s May, you have four finals in one week and your life is in shambles. Your room is a mess, you haven’t started packing to move out for the summer, you are overwhelmed with end of year events and you have been sick for weeks. This is an easy scenario to imagine so use these tips to start the new semester off right.

1. Organize your binder by week.

A helpful way to study for tests and finals is to organize your binder by week. I assign a binder to each class and then split my binder into weeks. This way I can put all the homework, notes and quizzes from that week into the same section.

2. Organize your desktop by week.

It is easy to have a messy desktop with files everywhere. Since most notes in college are taken on your laptop, it is important to have a folder for each class that is organized by week. You can make folders for each week so you can put all your files from that week in it so it is easy to find documents when you need to study for a final.

3. Color code your agenda.

First, it is important to buy an agenda and second, buy a few colorful pens. I like to color code my agenda by homework, tests, gym, laundry, clubs, trips and extra plans. This helps me to see how much I need to get done and helps me separate different parts of my life.

4. Use Google Calendar.

Using a Google calendar to plan out your classes and extra-curricular activities is a life saver. The ability to see what you have planned months in advance will help you not overcommit your time and will help you modify your schedule virtually.

5. Spend five minutes a day cleaning your room.

People often dread cleaning their dorm room because it takes up a lot of your already nonexistent extra time. Dorm rooms, however, are often small and shared with a roommate which can cause them to get dirty really quickly. If you spend five minutes every day cleaning your desk and messy areas, you will never have to allot a large amount of time to clean your entire room.

6.Keep a running list of groceries you need.

For most people, college is the first time living away from home and we often forget all the little things we need to buy. When you are at Target, it is often difficult to remember the little things like fabric softener and tissues, when you are preoccupied with buying a million snacks. If you keep a running list of things on your phone, you will always have it with you and will never forget the things many of us are buying for the first time.

7. Save the date.

When you are busy remembering the dates of your projects and tests, it is often easy to forget when it’s time to throw out products. It is easy to forget when you need to change your toothbrush, razor, mascara or water filter. If you forget to change out these few things, you may find yourself unnecessarily sick. It is a good idea to set yourself a reminder in advance on your phone when it is time to change out some products.

8. Dry erase board

One of the best investments in any room is a dry erase board. Some dry erase boards are already separated by days of the week which makes it easy to write your major events on the board. If you hang your dry erase board up above your desk it will be easy to plan your week ahead of time to make sure you do not miss any major events.

9. Organize your vitamins.

Most of the time college students get sick because many of us are not used to being around so many people in such small spaces. It is easy to share germs and develop a low immune system. It is important to take vitamins in order to build a strong immune system but it is often easy to forget. A good way to remember to take your vitamins or medicine is to pre-pack them in Ziploc bags at the beginning of the week so you can just grab the Ziploc bag and take the vitamins on the go.

10. Organizational cubes

Ikea and Target are well-known for selling organizational cubes that can be used to store anything from food to cleaning supplies. With small room sizes, it is important to keep your things separated and organized. It will be easier to find your things and put them back if they have there own compartment.

Happy organizing!