A new school year is upon us. And while many of us spent the summer working, for a lot of us, employment continues. Working while going to school can seem overwhelming; however, here are some techniques to make juggling multiple commitments a little easier.

Tip #1: Invest in a daily planner

This is the easiest and most valuable investment a person can make when trying to juggle work and school. With a planner, you can write down class and work schedules and visually see what time you have available to work on certain assignments.

An additional tip: Keep track of upcoming exams and projects by writing reminders in your planner in advance.

Tip #2: Become organized

Organization is quintessential in a busy day.

By keeping your work and living space tidy, you can spend more time accomplishing tasks instead of aimlessly searching.

The easiest way to stay organized is to create a specific place for keys, purses, backpacks and shoes. You can avoid spending precious time in the morning searching in an abyss of clutter if you know where everything is.

An even better way to be organized: lay out your clothes the night before. I know, you’ve heard this a million times, but laying out clothes and coordinating accessories ahead of time will make your morning run much smoother.

Tip #3: Use time efficiently

Working while going to school can eat up your time immensely. It is vital that any free time you have is used effectively.

Instead of watching television mindlessly for an hour, do your homework first. Once you finish what you need to do first, you can savor any remaining time doing anything you please. Prioritizing is key.

Tip #4: Exercise

We’ve all heard how exercise is beneficial to our health and how it helps reduce stress. The Anxiety and Depression Association of America has said “even five minutes of aerobic exercise can stimulate anti-anxiety effects.” If long hours are taking their toll on you, take some time to de-stress and go for a walk. Exercising can clear your perspective and give you time to focus on upcoming events.

Bonus points: listen to required reading whilst exercising. Become a master at multitasking.

Tip #5: Relax (and sleep)

Sleep is so important in a busy schedule. The Huffington Post has reported that “college students who didn’t get enough sleep had worse grades than those who did.” If you spend your day groggy and tired, you will accomplish less than if you had gotten a full eight hours.

Also, finding time to relax is imperative. Even if you spend only the 20 minutes driving home (as I do) singing with the radio, you will find yourself relaxed and ready to tackle the next obstacle in your day. And remember, you deserve to take some time relaxing, because working while going to school makes you exceptionally awesome.