At the start of a new semester many students feel optimistic that they can stay organized throughout the year. However, as exams, club meetings and sports games start piling up, it becomes much more difficult to stay on top of things. In order to succeed in college, the importance of organization cannot be understated. An organized lifestyle will help you complete assignments on time, be a productive student and drastically reduce stress.

Keep a planner. Instead of trying to mentally remember due dates and meetings, a well-kept planner or calendar can clear your head and keep all your important reminders in one place. Staying organized is easier than ever with the help of apps such as Google Calendar, which blocks your events into a simple layout. Senior Queury Triunfel suggests using two calendars.

“I use an iPhone calendar for personal events and an Outlook calendar for everything school related,” Triunfel said.

Others prefer the old-fashioned method of a paper planner, which can be just as effective for those who find that writing improves their memory. Regardless of the method you use, take your planner with you everywhere you go and use it regularly.

Color code. Arranging your school materials according to class is a simple way to stay organized throughout the year. Getting colored notebooks or folders for each subject makes it less likely that you’ll forget to bring something when rushing to class in the morning. Color coding can also be used for your notes and your calendar. Writing or highlighting the most important information in a certain color will imprint specific details in your mind.

Set personal deadlines. Setting your own goals is a useful technique to avoid procrastination and make sure every due date is met. Even if an essay is due in two weeks, set a goal to finish it in one. That leaves you an extra week for editing and ensures that the assignment will be done on time.

“Pacing myself and working according to my schedule alleviates the pressures associated with deadlines,” freshman Zeni Perez said.

This approach especially comes in handy when deadlines begin to overlap. Getting one assignment out of the way early is a lot less stressful than completing two at the same time.

Use the weekend to plan ahead. Spend a few minutes every Sunday to mentally prepare yourself for the upcoming week. Organize your schedule and fill in any due dates, events and activities that are arriving soon. Reviewing your game plan for the week ahead will save you time in the future and give you a structure to stay organized.

Organization is a necessity for any college student, and it is a great skill to have after you graduate and enter the real world! It’s a new semester and a fresh start, so take the time to make sure you are staying organized. These tips will be the key to a successful semester.