On college campuses and online study groups everywhere, the subjects vary but there’s one particular challenge that is the same – how to carve out enough time to study. Students’ weeks are filled from morning until night with classroom lectures, projects, research and the general business of living such as eating, sleeping and getting from point A to point B. Are there enough hours in the day to study, too? Sure there are, but you’ve got to get organized and make a plan. Here’s how:

Keep yourself as free as possible. Some people accept every invitation, join teams and volunteer more time than they actually have and then wonder why they never have time to study. It’s simple, do not commit to more than you can handle. It takes a healthy dose of realism to do this but after a while a stressed-out person can usually start to identify the culprit – themselves! Take the classes your need to get your degree and make studying for them your priority. Anything else should be secondary.

Prioritize. Break down what you need to accomplish on short and long-term lists. For example, a weekly calendar gives you an overview of what you need to get done in order to stay on track for the term. What better way to work toward those things than to chip away at them according to a “to do” list that you draft every morning? It’s easy to be overwhelmed when you have a lot to get done, but when you put tasks down in black and white, they seem more manageable. The daily list will keep you moving from point A to point B throughout the day and, ideally, move you toward meeting your overall weekly goals. Be sure to re-evaluate at day’s end and allocate time to complete unfinished tasks.

Look down the road toward long-term goals. Sure it’s important to prepare for quizzes and be on time for your study group, but don’t forget that you have a vision for your life once you graduate. That’s what makes all of the current work worthwhile after all. Keep your eye on the future and make sure that the things you do each day keep you on track for getting you where you want to be.

Avoid distractions. Recognize the things that you tend to allow creep in between you and your workload. Then, walk the other way as quickly as possible. Don’t allow people to talk you out of crossing items off of your daily “to do” list, turn off the television, put down your PDA and keep busy. Allow friends and fun to be your reward, not a method of procrastination. Take good care of yourself so that you stay healthy. A cold or flu bug could really set you back.

Don’t deprive yourself time for relaxing and socializing, just be sure that first you plan to get all of you studying done. Time is a valuable asset; one of the most important tools at your disposal on your way to your college degree.

Ruth Simmons is a columnist for an educational website development company. She writes on online degrees, higher education, online universities, and financial aid for graduate students.