A new year, a new semester, a new slate. Sounds pretty great, right? There’s no reason why you shouldn’t seize the day and prepare to have the best semester of your college life! Plus, you know what they say — it’s easier to start off on the right foot than it is to change course later on. In the spirit of good habits and even better grades, we’ve pulled together a list of the academic resolutions we should all be making this January. It really is all about adapting a few small, simple changes to your lifestyle…talk about an easy-A!

initiating the gallery...

I can’t study in the library because it’s SO quiet that any amount of noise annoys me. Someone is eating? So annoying, even if he or she is attempting to do it quietly. But, the guy and girl in this video create a really cool interruption for the people studying. They go totally Glee and start singing a library song. Everyone seems confused at the end, but you know they enjoyed it.

With finals season fast approaching (or maybe it’s already here for you unlucky few), CollegeCandy would like to issue a public service announcement. Yes, classes are officially over. Yes, you will face a series of tests that test the knowledge you acquired in said classes. Yes, obviously, they’re a big deal. But should you ignore the rules of civilized conduct and go balls-to-the-wall crazy in your efforts to secure the best grades possible? Ummm…please don’t.

For your safety, please follow the few simple rules we’ve collected here for you. You’ll thank us later when you’re not 20 lbs heavier and missing teeth.

1. Eat properly. We both know all that Red Bull isn’t good for you. We also know that Gummi worms don’t count as a serving of fruit and awesomeness. Grab some carrot sticks and a eco-friendly bottle of water.

2. Get some sleep. Real sleep. Not in the library.

3. Pace yourself. Devise an organized approach to studying that doesn’t leave you cramming at the last minute. Then stick to it.

4. Stay of Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Pinterest, etc. Ten minutes of “let me just see what people are up to” can quickly turn into three hours of reblogging, live tweeting and stalking exes. That’s embarrassing and unproductive.

5. Avoid any/all crazy situations resembling this scene that arose at William & Mary.

Does it feel like October slapped you in the face? I was unaware that time sped up, but apparently it did. You know what this means, don’t you? Midterms are almost here. Campus is about to get chaotic: Freshmen will be flipping out about their first big tests. Sophomores are going to try to act cool in the library and be really noisy. Juniors will curl up in the fetal position as they realize it’s the hardest year. Seniors like me will be banging their heads against the wall because that class was supposed to be easy. Everyone is going to be cranky and sleep deprived. Prescription drug deals will be happening at every bus stop. This is real (college) life.

To help you fight the good fight this semester, we’ve rounded up some of the best and worst ways to help you stay awake while you’re studying:

initiating the gallery...

If you want to go to graduate school

Great. Now let’s say you do need to take it. Unlike the ACT/SAT, which a lot of people didn’t bother studying for back in the day, the GRE tests you on what Educational Testing Services think graduate students should know before grad school. This means you will actually have to study. Remember probability, slope-intercept form, and all those equations from math you thought you were done with years ago? Remember analogies and memorizing flash cards and five paragraph essays? You better hope so, because the GRE brings it all back with a vengeance.

There’s four sections on this bad boy:

1. Verbal – Vocab. Lots and lots of vocab. Go buy some flash cards right now – they will be your best friends soon.
2. Quantitative – Not calculus, thank gosh. But they’re talking all the way back to math you learned in middle school. This includes arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and quantitative comparison.
3. Analytical Writing – Haven’t taken a writing class since freshman year? You may want to refresh your writing skills because you’ll have to write two essays in one sitting: one argumentative and one issue.
4. Experimental (maybe) – This experimental section might show up on your GRE exam, but it won’t count toward your score. ETS wants to do research on future questions on you, and they unfortunately do not let you know. So basically, you might end up taking two Verbal sections and not knowing which was the random experimental part that didn’t count. I was devastated to hear that I would be wasting my time in this manner, but there’s really nothing we can do about it.

Deciding which study materials to use is entirely up to personal preference. I bought three books to study with because I hate math, I need a great score on verbal, and I didn’t want to shell out the extra cash for a Princeton Review or Kaplan prep course. The reviews on Amazon really helped me understand how effective a book would be or how boring it might be before buying it – some are definitely easier to read than others. If it’s not your learning style, you obviously won’t learn as much. Oh, and make sure you’re buying a NEW book if they promise access to free online practice tests, or else the codes might not work!

In terms of freebies, all Windows users out there can also take advantage of free PowerPrep software from ETS. You should start reading the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, or sign up for Merriam-Webster’s Word of the Day emails to help expand your vocabulary. You can always do prep classes if you want to spend more money and if you need a more structured study schedule, but with a calendar and some willpower you should be fine!

One of the most important things you should do is familiarize yourself with how the GRE works. It’s a Computer Adaptive Test, which means that the difficulty of the questions change as you answer questions correctly or incorrectly. To get a feel for the test, you should do as many electronic practice tests as you can! For example, you need to be more cautious at the beginning of the test because those early questions have greater weight in terms of your score.

In terms of scheduling, you should know a few important facts:

• Most test prep materials recommend 1-2 months to study a few hours everyday
• Remember that you can’t take the GRE more than once a month
• On average, it takes about 4-6 weeks for scores to get to the grad school of your choice
• Your GRE scores are valid for five years after taking the test

Once you’ve got the test scheduled and you’re prepared, here are some tips for actually taking the GRE:

• Arrive to the testing site early and bring a legit photo ID
• Know which schools you want to send your scores to (the first four schools are free!)
• Bring a snack – four hours is a long time to go without food when your brain is working that hard
• Be careful on the early questions!
• Pay attention to time
• Answer EVERY question – on the GRE, guessing is always better than nothing
• Use your scratch paper wisely

Most importantly, don’t stress – they’re testing how well you can take a GRE, not how smart you are or how successful you will be in a master’s program. Grad schools realize this, and typically take your GRE score into account along with your GPA, resume experience, and personal statement.

Hope this helps you get ready for the GRE! What’s helping you study?

The school year is back in full swing, and before you know it, it’ll be time for your first test. While I’m sure a lot of you are probably great at studying, if you’re anything like me, it’s not your best skill. But with the help of StudyBlue, studying just got a lot easier and more efficent.

StudyBlue helps you study by giving you a place to store all your lecture notes online and make free online flashcards. What’s brilliant about this is that since everything is stored online with StudyBlue, you don’t have to worry about carrying around all your books and notes with you wherever you decide to study — you can pull it up on any computer!

The flashcards on StudyBlue are easy to make and use — and their digital format allows you to put more than just words and phrases on them! StudyBlue also allows you to add photos or audio – perfect for art, architecture, language or music classes! Also, when you study with flashcards, StudyBlue keeps track of what you know and don’t know, making your study more efficient by focusing your time on what you actually need to learn.

StudyBlue also knows that sitting in front of a computer isn’t always the most convenient place to study, which is why they made their site easily accessible by your smartphone — either through your phone’s web browser or the Apps available for iPhone and Android. As the site says, “it’s like having your entire backpack in your pocket.”

What’s more, StudyBlue has recently joined with another one of my favorite productivity sites, Evernote, to allow you to easily convert your Evernote class notes into StudyBlue‘s online flashcards.

I love StudyBlue because I have a hard time staying focused when I study, and StudyBlue helps with that. By organizing everything in one place, I don’t have to spend time trying to track down a particular set of notes and can spend more time focused on studying. Also, their plain gray and blue layout is distraction-free and helps keep me focused on doing my work. And I love that I can access my notes and flash cards on my phone, so that I don’t always have to be at my desk! I can study when I’m walking to class, waiting in line at the coffee shop, or pretty much anywhere. You can also set study reminders on StudyBlue – great for master procrastinations like me.

So whether your study habits could use a makeover like mine or even if you already have good study habits, StudyBlue will undoubtedly help maximize your study time — you’ll have better grades in no time!

Trust me, I know how hard it is to break these habits, especially the ones you’ve been working at for 4 years, but it’s definitely worth it. Keep your eye on the prize and get moving.

Bad Habit: Neverending Facebooking
Ever since this little devil popped up in 2003, vulnerable college students have spent their valuable study time creeping that hot guy down the hall or following the drama currently happening on the quad. Seriously, you might as well just pack up the books and go see for yourself because you will not get anything done when Facebook is on. Now, I have some friends who recommend completely de-activating your account for exam season, but I think that’s a bit extreme, especially when some people (myself included) use Facebook as the sole form of communication between cousins all over the world.

The Fix: I’ve found keeping my laptop on the other side of the room or turning off my internet connection to be useful. By doing that, you make it way more difficult to get your creep on. Seriously, just having to get up or switch on Airport gives you more time to consider if changing your status is really a good idea. However, if you really can’t resist, let yourself “creep” to your heart’s content on 15 minute breaks. This is going to be something you need to wean yourself off of, so set Facebook breaks in between study intervals that get longer and longer each time. Example: Break after half an hour, then 45 minutes, then an hour and so on until you’ve realized that you’re not really missing anything. PS – This goes for any website you seem to addicted to (even CollegeCandy!).

Bad Habit: Studying with Friends
In my early years of college, I would get together with groups of 6 or 8 and try to study for an exam. The problem with this is that as soon as two people lose focus and start chatting, the whole group is compromised. And guess what? We never got more than a chapter done in a couple of hours at these mega sessions. At the end of the day, they were a huge waste of time. (Literally…I’d spend all day getting nothing done.)

The Fix: First up, avoid the large study groups. They never work. Now, if you want a single study buddy, do a test run. Get together to just review material from your last lecture and see how focused your new friend can be. This way, you’re not putting your grade in danger. And if you’re approached by someone who you know isn’t serious, it’s okay to say no. I used to be a total people-pleaser, sacrificing my important study-time to help out a “friend.” But now I’ve realized that it’s more important to make sure that I get a good grade than help out every random slacker from class. It’s okay to be a little (or a lot) selfish when it comes to school! Bottom line: bad study buddies are a surefire way to drop your grade, so choose CAREFULLY.

Bad Habit: Poor Environment
Does this picture sound familiar? You’re sitting in your dorm room, trying to study, while your roommate is blaring some punk-rock music, the air conditioning is on so high that you’re shivering and your back is killing you from your hard chair. Most of you have probably tried to suffer through this or a similar study-sabotaging environment with little luck. I mean, who wants to pack up all that stuff and change locations? That’s just gonna waste time, right?

The Fix: Wrong. If you’re study environment isn’t letting you get anything done, “wasting time” to change it up is doing quite the opposite. How much are you really getting down there, anyway? You gotta find your most productive study space and, much like finding a study partner, this one requires a test run. If your roommates or housemates aren’t exactly quiet types, you may need to find a space somewhere else, like the library. Wherever you choose, you need to try just doing some homework in different settings, lighting, temperatures, etc. Try with music and without music and see when you’re able to concentrate better. This is something better figured out early on in college, but you can still improve your studying by adjusting this senior year.

Just to give you an example, my study environment is in my room, at my desk. I’m sensitive to sound so either I can play classical or instrumental music (cue Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker or Explosions in the Sky), but sometimes when the rest of the house is loud, I wear earplugs. Also, I get cold easily, so I usually wear a thick hoodie and ALWAYS wear socks when studying. I like to have tea with me and my desk lamp on! I know it’s pretty quirky, but I’ve figured out how to keep myself at my desk for hours on end. By creating this ritual, you’re setting up psychological cues so your brain knows it’s time to get to work.

Bad Habit: Cramming
Everyone has done it. You’ve either left studying to the last minute or completely forgot about the exam until the day before so you spend all night trying to cram the textbook into your brain. Unfortunately, you will never do as well cramming as you would if you’ve been studying for a week or two. And to make the problem even worse, you’re depriving yourself of sleep AND probably filling your body up with coffee and other stimulants. Most students don’t realize this, but those three ingredients are truly a recipe for disaster come your exam. Not only do you know little material, but you’re at risk for caffeine intoxication (symptoms include anxiety, panic and headache, which you will probably suffer from because you’re stressed to begin with) and dehydration, all of which completely zap your focus.

The Fix: Time management, people! Setting up a schedule is the only way to prevent a cramming session. Yes, I understand that you have a lot of midterms at once (don’t we all), but you can begin studying 2 or 3 weeks ahead of time! Firstly, get into a routine of reading your textbook before class and then reviewing the material after class. That way, you’re inputting the material in three different ways (textbook, lecture, reading notes) and creating lots and lots of connections in your brain for recall. Next, schedule studying in your planner and if you don’t have a planner, get one! Figure out how to utilize that calendar on your Blackberry and your grades will thank you! Take a look at the material you need to know for each class and give yourself about a week for each chapter. When you’re reading through, try to repeat definitions and other key information back and use mnemonic devices and tricks to help you really solidify the material.

According to the Daily Beast, Columbia University, my school, offers the most stressful undergraduate experience in the country.

Admittedly, taking a tour of any campus library during midterms or finals is enough to set your nerves on edge. Under-eye bags are as common on campus as Longchamp bags. Many students (especially first-years) constantly complain about their work overload. However, during my three years here, I have never pulled an all-nighter, missed a deadline, asked for an extension, or taken Adderall, caffeine pills or any type of energy drink (though, admittedly, I was studying abroad during the era of Fourloko).

Is this some sort of miracle? Am I a genius? Do I have photographic memory? No, I wish, and that actually doesn’t exist. But that’s another story. What I am is organized and realistic. And successful.

Here are some of my tips for keeping it all together.

My first tip applies to registration. Try to choose at least one class that will lift your spirits. Whether it is a new language class, an art class or a P.E. class, getting credit for something you enjoy will make your whole course load feel lighter. You might even think about taking this class Pass/Fail.

Secondly, buy a planner or agenda and do everything you can to make sure you use it. For me, this means colored pens, stickers and the compulsion to always have it in my bag and write everything down as soon as I find out about it. Knowing where you need to be can make your day feel less cluttered and give you peace of mind.

On the subject of clutter, keeping your living spaces organized and clean can free can be therapeutic. There are a lot of nice things in the world that are expensive, but the one nice thing that is absolutely free is cleanliness. On a day where nothing seems to be going your way, organizing your dorm room, desk drawers and clothes can be a step in the right direction. (Don’t know where to start? Check out organization expert Peter Walsh’s tips for organizing your space.)

Try to take really good notes. Focusing on making them look nice can keep you from zoning out in class. Resist the urge to check your email or Facebook on your phone. Doodling on a notebook is better than connecting to the outside world. This is why I don’t bring my laptop to class; the act of physically writing down key lecture points keeps me engaged. Skyping your long-distance boyfriend during that history lecture is a bad use of your time and will only make it harder to study down the road. Trust me – I’ve done it.

Take care of your body. Eat well, keep a fairly regular sleep schedule, exercise and meditate. A half hour of cardio is a great way to work through stress. It clears your mind, boosts your self-esteem and gives you the energy to help you attack the rest of the day.

Laugh! You don’t need to have a crazy late night out to have fun. Get dinner with friends, share ridiculous YouTube videos, have impromptu karaoke competitions or dance parties in your hallway. These are the moments you will always remember…and the moments that will keep you sane.

Try to always look presentable. Sure, slumping to class in your sweatpants is comfortable, but taking five minutes to put on jeans and a cardigan will make you feel more put together and less stressed. A scarf and a headband can be the perfect final touch to your messy bun.

DON’T PROCRASTIANTE!
There was a great article in the New Yorker about procrastination last October. It differentiates between people who procrastinate out of laziness and those who do it out to self-sabotage. If you are in the second category, you need set your own attainable standards. Maybe you should strive to get A’s in the classes you excel in and A-‘s or B+‘s in the classes you really struggle with. Be accountable to someone, either a tutor or a study group and feel the satisfaction of checking off to-do lists on your planner.

If I am dreading working on something, a problem set or an essay, I divide it up into manageable portions spread out over several days. It is easier to work on something if you know that you will only devote an hour to it per day than to sacrifice a whole Sunday. I also find it easier to do my work in the mornings. I also like to pretend that my deadlines are a day or two before the actual day so that I can get someone (a professor, T.A or savvy friend) to look over my work to make sure I haven’t missed the mark. Additionally, moving your deadlines forward is an insurance policy against the unpredictable.

This technique also applies for studying for exams. I take the time about two weeks before the exam to figure out what I’m going to study on what day, leaving the last two days before the exam open for review sessions and study group meetings. Remember that studying in a group should help you polish what you already know and fill in gaps of things you didn’t completely understand. It is a compliment to, not a substitute for, time spent studying by yourself.

Talk it out. If you are really feeling overwhelmed, try to figure out where the pressure is coming from. Talk to a trusted friend, family member or a counselor. Furthermore, keep noxious self-deprecating thoughts out of your mind. Ask yourself if you would criticize a friend the way you criticize yourself.

Sometimes I joke to my friends that I feel like a school robot. In fact, I feel more like a high-performance athlete. Following all these steps and taking care of myself sets me up to perform my best and take the time to enjoy this time in my life. My strategies, though arguably elaborate, ensure that I don’t have to pull all-nighters and I am always free to go out Friday or Saturday night.

And that’s just the thing I need to stay sane amid this sea of stress.

No. It’s most definitely not.

So we thought we’d help College Board and all those other important SAT people out by offering them a few alternative SAT questions. Real life questions, the kind of questions that college students may encounter on any give college day…

1. One tequila, two tequila, three tequila…

(A) Four (B) Floor (C) Bed (D) Death

2. Beer goggles is a commonly used college expression. Explain the meaning of this phrase and then use it in a sentence.

3. A walk of shame is:

(A) Walking into class after said class has started (B) Walking home during the early hours of the morning in last night’s clothes after spending said night in with a guy (C) Tripping while walking in high heels

4. A steak dinner is to real life as ____ is to college life.

(A) cafeteria food (B) Ramen noodles (C) Chef Boyardee

5. Finals week will most likely be spent:

(A) in the library (B) studying (C) on Facebook (D) Both A and C

6.  In college your dating life changes. It’s far less likely that a guy asks you to hang out after class or go to a football game with him, and far more likely that he propositions you at a party. But there is an alternative. Explain the concepts of friends with benefits. Then discuss the pros and cons of such an agreement.

7. Your roommate asks to borrow your favorite sweater. Not only is it too small for her, but she also has a habit of returning items she borrows unwashed. Explain how to get out of such a situation without starting a roommate war.

8. Name six of CollegeCandy’s ten ways to drink a beer.

9. The best reason to drop a class is:

(A) It’s at 7 a.m. (B) The professor has terrible reviews (C) It’s on a Friday (D) All of the above

10.  Name some college stereotypes. Which will you be? Why?

So…you can’t find your dream job

The secret to college success

5 things every college girl needs in her bag

Oh no, studying ultimatums

Your weekend survival kit

14 colleges with the best dorms

Student skips class, has no good reason

Blame it on the alcohol

6 ways to pump up your internet search

Perfecting the all-nighter

Wow, Dakota Fanning in college…I feel old

5 Thing to remember before leaving on spring break