As every new school years kick into full swing, each student approaches the year with a different perspective. Many students start off the year getting everything done and turned in time, but then struggle to keep that up as the year continues. Here are some tips and tricks to start the year off right, and as a bonus, keep that momentum through the whole year.

DO get (and use) an planner. It’s a way to keep track of assignments, tests, and just day-to-day tasks. Being able to look at your entire week, or even month, can make it easier to pick and choose when to do tasks. If you have a few days before an assignment is due, but have a test the next day, study for the test and complete the assignment after the test. It’s a good way to divide and conquer. If you need to, color code everything, quizzes and tests in one color, assignments with another, or even assign each class a color and match your notebooks and folders to that color.

DON’T multitask. An article written by Entrepreneur India talks about how the human brain is designed to focus on one task at a time. Multitasking causes more stress on the brain, which causes it to take more time doing tasks. Trying to do too much at one time can do more damage than good, so take it one step at a time.

DO give yourself rewards. Finish the rough draft of that essay for Mr. Moore’s AP Lit class? Or maybe that presentation for Mr. Yanelli’s Economics class? Give yourself a reward, even if it’s something small. You’ve just finished a major task, celebrate with something, even if it’s as small as a candy bar from the checkout line at Publix.

DON’T take digital notes, and when you’re studying, turn off your devices. Digital devices are notorious for notifications popping up during class, and sometimes that’s all it takes to get distracted. Taking notes on paper not only eliminate the chances of getting distracted by texts and the temptation of games, but also forces you to pick and choose what you write down. A study done by a professor at Princeton University in collaboration with a professor from University of California, Los Angeles, shows that students who take physical notes as opposed to digital ones did much better on exams. Students who type their notes tend to try and type what their instructor says verbatim, which isn’t possible to do when writing physical notes, meaning that the only things that get written down are what is actually relevant. Not only does taking physical notes keep you from getting distracted, but it also forces you to discard any irrelevant information.

DO establish a routine. Find a quiet place to study and do homework. Get any snacks and drinks ahead of time so you don’t have to interrupt yourself. Doing work in your bed isn’t the best idea, so try an area like the dining room table, the back yard, or even the school library. According to an article by Brian Robben, an author who’s had three best-selling book on Amazon, doing work in bed decreases productivity. The fluffy pillows and comforting blankets tempts you to lie down and take a nap, but in the end, it can ruin your body’s natural sleep cycle. Your brain associates your bed with sleep, but studying in bed means that your brain will also associate your bed with work, making it harder to sleep at night.

DON’T be afraid to “eat the frog.” Author Mark Twain, famous for novels such as The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, once said, “If it’s your job to eat a frog, it’s best to do it first thing in the morning. And If it’s your job to eat two frogs, it’s best to eat the biggest one first.” In essence, if there’s something that you don’t want to do, do it right away and get it done. You won’t have to worry about it anymore more, it’s out of the way, and you can focus on whatever else it is that you need to do.

The start of the school year is incredibly important, the momentum gained will follow the rest of the year. Establishing a routine and knowing the best way to study and keep yourself focused will set the tone for the year, setting you up for a year of success.