• do your best work as soon as school starts
• usually the first week(s) of school have a relatively light homework load, but don’t slack off!
• this is the time to put in the most effort
• you’ll be able to see which subjects you want to spend more or less time on throughout the semester
• also, if you turn in great work, participate in class, and go to office hours right from the start, you’re going to keep up those good habits as the school year continues
• plus, you’ll leave a fantastic impression on your teachers :)
• use! a! planner!
• cliché? yes, but it works
• planners are a great tool to organize so many different aspects of your life, not just school
• write down your assignments as soon as you get them so that you won’t forget anything, and so that you can plan your day/week accordingly
• try to space out your assignments if you can so that you don’t spend all of your time on just one subject
• describe your tasks. instead of saying “study chemistry” (which will turn into binge-watching youtube), say “practice balancing chemical equations”
• planners are also great for setting and keeping track of goals! 
• BUT, if planners don’t work for you, use some other way to keep track of your tasks and your time - to do lists, schedules, checklists, bullet journals, etc. choose what works for you!
• just make sure that you keep all of your tasks in one place. 
• break down larger tasks, such as projects or papers, throughout the week
• do a little every day instead of cramming all the work into one night
• bonus: try to get your assignments reviewed by someone like a teacher or a classmate before turning them in - most teachers are happy to look at drafts and give suggestions that will improve your work and your grade!
• also, for big projects, my procrastinating brain has found it helpful to ‘reset the deadlines’ - work so that you’ll finish your bigger assignments a few days before they’re actually due
• a big part of breaking down tasks and planning is also knowing your own study habits
• try to figure out how long you spend on certain types of assignments, and know how much time you should allocate to specific tasks
• when you have a choice, go for meaningful
• for some assignments, such as essays where you can choose your own prompt, it’s easy to choose the easy prompt
• but whenever you can, try to go for the prompt that will help you to deepen your understanding of the material you’ve learned
• teachers who reuse prompts will probably see a lot of the “same” essays every year, so this is a way to stand out in a positive way!
• if you can, declutter
• or at least try to clean up your study space for the school year
• having a neat space to work can really go a long way
• throw out those old pens that have run out of ink and are honestly just there to look pretty
• also: invest in good lighting because you gotta take care of those beautiful eyes
• find classmates who can be your study buddies
• if you know who the “top students” in your class are, seek out their help! get contact info!
• if you miss classes or have concepts that you’re having trouble with, you’ll always have someone to ask
• i mean you should always feel comfortable with asking your teacher for help, but it’s nice to have someone to quickly proofread your paper or review for a test with
• peer tutors are also a great resource!
• take the time to establish new habits
• maybe come up with a morning/afternoon/night routine so that you know you’ll spend some time every day being productive
• and don’t let yourself off the hook here!!
• some ideas for habits: hydrating properly every day, working out, getting enough sleep every night, avoiding procrastination, journaling, focusing on one thing at a time / not multitasking, going to office hours consistently, participating in class
• be honest with yourself. what are some things you do every day that you might not need to do every day? and what are some things you hope you can add to your daily routine?
• speaking of habits, fix that sleep schedule asap
• if you want to pay attention in class and turn in good work, you’re going to need enough sleep
• i would recommend sleeping early and waking up early over sleeping late - it just feels less awful throughout the day and it shouldn’t do as much damage to your sleep schedule as one all nighter will
• get yo priorities straight
• learn to say “no” to things that will take up your time but won’t really benefit you
• recognize that not everything is important
• that being said! take breaks!!
• burnout is real my friends
• a lot of people say that you should use your downtime to work, and you definitely can if you want to and feel able to
• it’s so easy to feel like you have to be studying or working 24/7, and that’s not true
• if you feel like you really need a break, take a break
• spend time with your family and friends! treat yourself with some ice cream! go for a walk (without your phone)! call someone who lives far away from you to say you miss them!
• being productive is great, and even if you’re the kind of person that can handle that much work without burning out, that stress will release itself elsewhere - some harsh words you didn’t mean, some small thing that annoyed you more than it should have

I know a lot of people from my undergraduate schooling that felt like they had to go to graduate school “just because”. Sometimes that’s just not the case and its more helpful to get experience in your field or take a different route. Ask around and get advice from people before committing to this kind of decision!

My biggest roadblock to applying to graduate school was finding people to write my letters of recommendation. Maintaining relationships with your adviser and other people in your potential field will make this much much easier. They can also give you essential insight into what kind of programs to look for and even help finding funding sources and other connections. 

Get all your necessary paperwork for your applications straightened out ahead of time including: application information, supplemental information, official transcript copies, resumes and CVs, and your writing samples. 

I found that having this information saved on a external hard drive and in physical copy saved my life/sanity several times. 

During college keep a folder of your best work! Including theses, papers, projects, and other work you do. This will give you a place to go to review all your work and pick the best sample for your future applications!

My personal experience has only been with the GRE because I’m American, but make sure you take all the necessary exams. I know several people who took them early and retook them 6 months to a year later to improve their scores. Usually these scores stay viable for a couple years. 

Some programs require subject tests in addition to standard examinations so make sure you study for and schedule them as well!

This decreases how much stress you will be under during the process. I started my junior year of college and because I had enough time to plan and research potential programs I felt much more secure during the months I finished my applications!

• get prep books (i used kaplan). flash cards are optional in my opinion because prep books have lists of commonly tested words in the back.
• practice, practice, practice…especially when timed. i did all the practice sets but didn’t time myself at all and that really hurt me because i was literally finishing answering some questions with a second left.
• when you get to the testing center, you’ll put everything in a locker so you only bring your ID and locker key to the actual test area. you’ll be asked to empty your pockets, roll up your sleeves/pants for inspection, have your picture taken, and sign in/out every time you leave the room (breaks/etc.).
• there are headphones available to block out noise (they do kind of hurt though).
• you’re on your own time once the exam begins. it’s not like the SAT where the proctor tells you when to drop your pencil or when to take your break. the timer for each section is on the screen, and you can skip breaks if you don’t want them.
• people around you may or may not be taking exams other than the GRE and people will be coming and going, as they’re on their separate schedule/exam.
• your issue and argument essays come first. it looks like a word sheet where you type out your essay. practice quick thinking and knowing how to use real life or hypothetical situations for prompts.
• the verbal section is as expected (reading comp is a pain…learn how to pick out purpose, voice, argument especially during the first read through).
• the MATH section is where you need to practice the most in my opinion (what i studied wasn’t tested, what they did test was vague and brutal, fml).
• try not to use the on-screen calculator because it is lame as crap and will slow you down like nobody’s business. use your scratch paper or just reason your way through the question.
• standardized testing hella sucks ugh.