Make a list of all the work you need to accomplish. Draw major assignments and deadlines from your course syllabuses. Include major projects, such as your term paper, and small projects, such as weekly reading responses.
Put dates next to time-sensitive tasks. For example, write down "3/11" next to the term paper thesis you have to submit by March 11.
Write down the task and due date of each time-sensitive task on your semester calendar, and circle the major events for emphasis. Arranging your workload on a long-term, visual timetable prevents you from ever being caught off guard about an upcoming assignment or deadline.
Break down each task into smaller tasks that you can accomplish in one or two hours and avoid feeling overwhelmed. For example, break down a large task such as completing a term paper into 10, 12 or 15 parts, including the research, note taking for each topic section, typing the various paragraphs, editing and proofreading.
Write down your schedule for each day of the week using an hourly day planner. Include classes, sports practices, exercising, meals and other extracurricular commitments. Laying out your daily schedule reveals small pockets of available time that can fall victim to procrastination. For example, if your last class ends at 3:30 p.m. and soccer practice doesn't start until 4:15 p.m., that's 45 minutes of free time to tackle some reading or studying.
Optimize your daily productivity by minimizing unnecessary travel and transitions. For example, those 30 minutes of free time between your second class and lunch aren't useful if you have to return to your dorm to pick up your reading. Instead, pack your reading inside your book bag in the morning so you can fully utilize those 30 minutes without wasting travel time.
Attempt realistically appropriate tasks during your pockets of free time. For example, trying to search and print articles during a 20-minute window will leave you feeling frustrated and hurried. Instead, save tasks that require setup, printing, scanning or searching for when you have one or more hours available. Use small time windows to accomplish small tasks such as copying one source journal or reading one textbook chapter.