It's that time of year again, I don't know about you all but I love this time of year, no its not Christmas or any other holiday. It's back to school time! Yes to many this is the most devastating time but I love back to school time. I love back to school timing because I get to buy new books and new school supplies (yes the nerd in me is speaking). The main reason I like back to school timing is because for myself and I'm sure for many others it is the beginning of the year. You may ask why the beginning of the year since it is in January? Well, since elementary school August has been the month of the new school year there for new beginnings. I know many of us are so glad to be back on campus seeing our old friends from last year and making new friends as well.

The new academic year is the time of year where new memories begin, setting up new goals not just for the academic year but also for our future. I'm not sure about many of you guys but I use the new academic year to make new resolutions and try my best to stick to them. Following are few plans that I have made for this academic year, which may help you as well. Making resolutions isn't the hardest part the hardest part is keeping them and sticking to it no matter what.

1. Staying organized.

Number one thing I do to keep myself on track is to get a planner, a good planner can make or break you in my personal opinion.Having just a good planner doesn't mean a thing unless you utilize it properly. I take all my syllabi and write down all the major due dates, homework assignments, tests or projects. I usually write these downs in pencil because depending on how your professor follows the syllabus these dates may change and honestly it gets messy if you have written it in a pen and then trying to scratch it off and rewrite it. I also usually color code everything, I designate a specific color to a class and then write all my assignments and projects due for that class in the designated color. It makes it easier for me to just look at the planner and know which assignment is for which class instead of having to write down class name and all that mess, as you know planners do not have a lot of space on them.

2. Reading a head.

As the title says read ahead, I cannot emphasize enough how important is reading a head. Professors give you a syllabus on the first day of class for a reason, trust me I don't think they enjoy making the syllabus either as much as we "enjoy" reading it. They fulfill their duty by providing for us when everything is due and what we will be working on in class for the entire semester on the first day of class. It is then up to us how we utilize that syllabus. I don't know about you, but my professors also put up the page number of the reading we need to do before class, if they don't put the page number they do put chapters or at least section numbers of what we need to read.Over the past few years of being in college I have learned that unless you read a head it is very hard to understand the concept no matter how much you pay attention in class. Lectures are only meant to clarify the subject matter so you can understand the material that you have read. I personally strongly believe that reading ahead is the key to being successful in class.

3. Breaking down assignments.

Are you the type of person who things they got the handle on the assignments and the night before are having a panic attack because you can't figure out where to begin? If not then that's great, trust me it took me a while before I figured this out for myself. Breaking down big assignments such as projects is a great tool, which saves you panic at the last minute. Depending on how big the project is, break it into chucks over weeks or days at a time (this is why I said having a great planner is the key). I usually try my best to have the projects done few days if not a week or so in advance, because no matter how much we rely on technology it can fail us at the last minute (you know this to be true because it has happened to you as well). If the project is due on a Friday I try to have it completed that Monday, so if anything messes up i have Tuesday until Thursday to fix it. It's not just about getting one project completed, I'm sure most of us are full time students so each professor has something due, and if you have luck that I have, usually end up with something due from each class on the same exact day. If you break down your projects over a course of a time, it causes less panic and helps you get things done in a well mannered time.

Over the course of my educational life especially since I've started college, I've learned a few things in order to be successful. I'm hoping these will help you not just in your academic career but in life as well. Staying organized is the main key, and what will help is having an amazing planner, to keep you organized. Reading ahead makes you understand the material better and understand the concept which you are trying to learn. Breaking down assignments over the course of time keeps you sane and well organized. Trust me on this one it will save you a major melt down or a panic attack when you have 10 bazillion things due all at one time.

Do these tips help you or do you have any of your own that you would like to share? Comment below and let me know what works best for you to be successful in the academic year.