It’s a fresh semester, so we all have grandiose plans about how to change our lives for the better. It’s a fresh semester, so we all have grandiose plans about how to change our lives for the better. Stop eating pizza every night for dinner. Stop biting those nails. Stop skipping class for naps.

But the new semester is the perfect opportunity to make one change in particular: Get more organized. Really. This is the semester to finally do it instead of waiting until finals week and crying over your textbooks and empty coffee cup, wishing you’d been more organized. We’ve all been there. So here are some baby steps:

Get a planner. And use it.

During my first semester of college, I inexplicably used Post-it notes to keep track of homework. I’d write down assignments on a note and stick it to a text or notebook. This sort of worked — until the note fell off or I forgot to look at a particular book. I started forgetting assignments and finding out about tests in the class before them. Then I bought a planner.

The great thing about planners is that all of your information is in one place. I write down assignments, due dates and appointments, and I can keep track of one week at a time. Writing down information allows you to see how busy a week will be and plan accordingly. And it makes you feel better. Seeing a week’s workload in a linear manner makes it less daunting — even if it looks like a lot to do.

The most basic mistake people make is not keeping up with the planner. Make it a habit. Do it in the last five minutes of every class or check syllabi in between classes to find out what’s due in the coming week. Actually do it. You’ll find that it’s easier to prioritize, plan and stay on top of work.

Use folders. And notebooks.

I know this is basic, but it’s worth repeating. Folders and notebooks that correspond to specific classes are essential. Sometimes it’s easier just to shove all the paper you get in a day into your backpack and head for the hills. But it’s easier in the long run to keep all the papers for each class in different folders.

If your teacher doesn’t use CourseWeb, staple a class syllabus to its folder. You won’t lose it, and it’ll be easier to find when you need to update that planner.

This same method applies to notebooks. Keep notebooks separate for different classes, or studying for tests will become a nightmare.

Make lists.

I’m definitely a list-maker. I do it for groceries, homework and reasons why Ryan Gosling is a total babe. Among other topics. But making lists is a great tool for staying organized. In terms of to-do lists, it’s important to make both short-term and long-term lists. In the short term, include everything you need to do for the next couple of days. For the long term, include things that need to be done within the week or month.

This keeps your workload in perspective. Make sure to keep them separated, as putting long-term items on the same list as short-term items weighs down the list. It feels really good to cross things off and finish a list, but I find it discouraging when I can’t finish a to-do list because it includes a project that isn’t due in the same time frame as the others.

So keep multiple lists. And keep them in your planner, where you’ll see them every day. Make them when you’re procrastinating, and you might be encouraged to start working again. It’ll at least be more encouraging than scouring Facebook and lamenting how Timeline ruined your e-life.

Once you make a list, you’ll want to cross things off it. And don’t be afraid to cheat a little. Write down little goals — go to class, buy new pens — just to cross them off. It’s OK.

Prioritize. And know how you work best.

After you’ve written in your planner and made a bunch of lists, it’s time to prioritize. Figure out which assignments you can do quickly and which will require more of your time. Then set aside time to do them.

If you give yourself certain amounts of time in which to accomplish tasks — in a two-hour gap between classes, for example — then it’s easier to get them done.

This procedure also helps you develop how you work best. If you’re dreading doing a paper, is it better plan a marathon writing session or break it up into little pieces for different days?

Figure out when and where you work best. If you’re more productive in the morning, get up early and work really hard for a few hours. If you can’t work at home, trek to a coffee shop or a library to get work done.

Make it mildly enjoyable.

Listen to your favorite music, buy an overpriced latte, take 10-minute Pinterest breaks every hour or so. It’s easier to work when you’re in the right situation. I can write a paper at a coffee shop in two hours during the early morning, but if I try to do it at home during the day, it’ll take seven.

If you get work done when you want to, it won’t pile up. And you’ll be able to go out with friends on the weekends or shamelessly watch TV in your pajamas all morning.

Start being organized now, and you won’t have to regret your life choices in the dim light of your computer screen come 5 a.m. the Monday of finals week. Get a great planner that you actually want to write in or color-coded folders and notebooks for all of your classes. Nerd it up.

To hire Sarah as a life coach, email her at [email protected].