Ah, October – the peaceful lull between the start of the school year and finals. Most of your midterms are over, your papers aren't due yet, and you can take a breather and just coast for a while, right?

Not so fast! It's tempting to put your feet up and take a break and plan to crush your papers and studying during Fall Reading Week, but you'll regret it come December if you snooze until the end-of-semester deadlines.

Set a schedule

That paper that's due on the last day of class feels a long way off now, but pulling an all-nighter right before the deadline is hardly a winning strategy. Take a look at the due date and work backwards to set a starting date – then, schedule 45-minute blocks to work on your paper once or twice a week until it's finished. This strategy works for any homework assignments or exam studying, too!

Kill your distractions

Sure, you could do homework, or you could find out where you'll be in 10 years based on your past life. Spoiler: if you don't spend your present studying, your future self will be cramming for exams. There's a ton of free apps to help yourself avoid distractions if your willpower is lacking: try Self Control (Mac), Cold Turkey (Windows), or a free extension for your favourite browser.

Get a sneak peek of your exam

You know when your final is coming, but not what's going to be on it – that is, unless you take at the Exam Registry. Most professors are required to make their old exams available for students to review, which means by looking up your course, you can see past exams and get an idea of the sorts of questions that will appear on the final! It's an easy way to guide your studying. 

Take a (productive) break

While slacking off guarantees a crunch later, taking planned breaks can help you refresh your brain and tackle your homework with renewed focus. One of the best things to do to get your mind active and ready to study? Get your body active, too! Hitting the gym is a great way to take a break between study sessions and come back fresh.