This strategy is one of many that can help you manage stress by setting realistic goals for yourself.
Try this exercise to organize, reduce and prioritize the number of events in your life.

Exercise text:
Organize tasks; manage your stress

1. Organize and prioritise your tasks and reduce your stress.
   Enter three tasks you need to accomplish.

2. Develop each task into three steps.

3. Organize!
   Re-arrange each of the steps from earliest due date (1 or highest priority) to those further out (12).

4. Print and post as a to do list.

The what, why and how of to-do lists

What:

• Listing!
  A simple presentation of three to five tasks that enables you to identify and visualize a core group of tasks in one place for easy reference

• It grows and shortens
  as you work through items

• Posted
  on a bulletin board, refrigerator or space
  readily reminds you of what you prioritize to do and when you need to do it (deadlines)

• Organize!
  It is an organizational tool that can be used for scheduling with
  electronic calendaring, strategic post-it notes, email, instant messenger, SMS and other communication services, etc.

• It can be a Not-to-do list where the time is not right, but you don't want to forget the item

• May help you develop timelines, sub-tasks, etc. to get the job done!
  (but separate from the to do list!)

Why:

• Reduce stress
  You can reduce stress by itemizing and prioritizing tasks and giving them a place in your life.
• Remind yourself
  A list displayed in a prominent place can remind you of what you consider important to do.
• Strategize completion
  When reminded, you also are thinking about the task,
  as well as what resources, strategies and options for completing the task!
• It can be fun!
  Playing with the list can encourage thinking outside of the box for solutions.
  Add images and pictures to create a more enjoyable even accurate presentation.

How:

• Use the simple exercise above to identify tasks
• Go to Prioritizing tasks to build an operational sequence
• Enter items into electronic calendaring, strategic post-it notes, email, instant messenger, SMS and other communication services
• Share
  With friends, family and colleagues for assistance and insights
  to communicate what you are working on and where you are
• Cross off items and celebrate their completion
• Apply the to do list to your daily life

As young children, we have a great ability to learn and to see past setbacks.
We try things, again and again, until we get them right.
Setbacks are only part of a successful process of learning.
Our drive, motivation, even curiosity to learn is personal, or intrinsic.

Developing time management skills is a journey
that may begin with this Guide, but needs practice and other guidance along the way.

One goal is to help yourself become aware of how you use your time
as one resource in organizing, prioritizing, and succeeding in your studies
in the context of competing activities of friends, work, family, etc.

First:  try our exercise in time management:  How do you spend your time each day?

Strategies on using time:
These applications of time management have proven to be effective as good study habits.
As we go through each strategy,  jot down an idea of what each will look like for you:

• Blocks of study time and breaks
  As your school term begins and your course schedule is set, develop and plan for, blocks of study time in a typical week.  Blocks ideally are around 50 minutes, but perhaps you become restless after only 30 minutes? Some difficult material may require more frequent breaks. Shorten your study blocks if necessary—but don’t forget to return to the task at hand!  What you do during your break should give you an opportunity to have a snack, relax, or otherwise refresh or re-energize yourself. For example, place blocks of time when you are most productive:  are you a morning person or a night owl? 
  • Jot down one best time block you can study.  How long is it?  What makes for a good break for you?  Can you control the activity and return to your studies?
• Dedicated study spaces
  Determine a place free from distraction (no cell phone or text messaging!) where you can maximize your concentration and be free of the distractions that friends or hobbies can bring!  You should also have a back-up space that you can escape to, like the library,  departmental study center, even a coffee shop where you can be anonymous.  A change of venue may also bring extra resources. 
  • What is the best study space you can think of?  What is another?
• Weekly reviews
  Weekly reviews and updates are also an important strategy.  Each week, like a Sunday night, review your assignments, your notes, your calendar. Be mindful that as deadlines and exams approach, your weekly routine must adapt to them! 
  • What is the best time in a week you can review?
• Prioritize your assignments
  When studying, get in the habit of beginning with the most difficult subject or task.  You’ll be fresh, and have more energy to take them on when you are at your best.  For more difficult courses of study, try to be flexible:  for example, build in “reaction time” when you can get feedback on assignments before they are due.  
  • What subject has always caused you problems?
• Achieve “stage one”--get something done!
  The Chinese adage of the longest journey starting with a single step has a couple of meanings:  First, you launch the project!  Second, by starting, you may realize that there are some things you have not planned for in your process. Details of an assignment are not always evident until you begin the assignment.  Another adage is that “perfection is the enemy of good”, especially when it prevents you from starting! Given that you build in review, roughly draft your idea and get  going!  You will have time to edit and develop later.
  • What is a first step you can identify for an assignment to get yourself started?
• Postpone unnecessary activities until the work is done!
  Postpone tasks or routines that can be put off until your school work is finished! 
  This can be the most difficult challenge of time management.  As learners we always meet unexpected opportunities that look appealing, then result in poor performance on a test, on a paper, or in preparation for a task. Distracting activities will be more enjoyable later without the pressure of the test, assignment, etc. hanging over your head.  Think in terms of pride of accomplishment. Instead of saying “no” learn to say “later”.
  • What is one distraction that causes you to stop studying?
• Identify resources to help you
  Are there tutors?  An “expert friend”? Have you tried a keyword search on the Internet to get better explanations?  Are there specialists in the library that can point you to resources?  What about professionals and professional organizations.  Using outside resources can save you time and energy, and solve problems.
  • Write down three examples for that difficult subject above? 
    Be as specific as possible.
• Use your free time wisely
  Think of times when you can study "bits" as when walking, riding the bus, etc.  Perhaps you’ve got music to listen to for your course in music appreciation, or drills in language learning?  If you are walking or biking to school, when best to listen? Perhaps you are in a line waiting?  Perfect for routine tasks like flash cards, or if you can concentrate, to read or review a chapter.  The bottom line is to put your time to good use.
  • What is one example of applying free time to your studies?
• Review notes and readings just before class
  This may prompt a question or two about something you don’t quite understand, to ask about in class, or after.  It also demonstrates to your  teacher that you are interested and have prepared.
  • How would you make time to review?
    Is there free time you can use?
• Review lecture notes just after class
  Then review lecture material immediately after class. 
  The first 24 hours are critical.  Forgetting is greatest within 24 hours without review!
  • How would you do this?
    Is there free time you can use?

Review your ten applications above.
Select one, and develop a new study habit.
Try something you have a good chance of following through and accomplishing.  Nothing succeeds like a first successful try! 

Try the University of Minnesota's Assignment Calculator

Develop criteria for adjusting your schedule
to meet both your academic and non-academic needs

Effective aids:

• Create a simple "To Do" list
  This simple program will help you identify a few items, the reason for doing them, a timeline for getting them done, and then printing this simple list and posting it for reminders.
• Daily/weekly planner
  Write down appointments, classes, and meetings on a chronological log book or chart.
  If you are more visual, sketch out your schedule
  First thing in the morning, check what's ahead for the day
  always go to sleep knowing you're prepared for tomorrow
• Long term planner
  Use a monthly chart so that you can plan ahead.
  Long term planners will also serve as a reminder to constructively plan time for yourself

Adaptive techniques for solving problems are a combination of logic and common sense, and while not precise, can produce satisfactory solutions.

If you cannot follow the complete problem solving process, use these techniques when you

• have little time for research
• don't need exhaustive analysis
• can accept the risks
• can make reversible decisions

Strategies toward adaptive decision making:

Managing by exception: exercise
Managing by exception: text
Work on matters critical to you; leave off matters that are not.  Strategizing and prioritizing

Example:  You tutor a child in math.  You become aware that the family situation is troubled, but you haven't the skills to help.  You inform the case manager for their action, but continue to focus on the supporting the child with his/her homework

Decision staggering
Make incremental decisions to achieve an objective and avoid total commitment to a decision you cannot change.

Example: Before installing air-conditioning, try screens, shades, and fans. These alone may do the job. If not, these improvements will still have helped cool the building and increase air-conditioning efficiency if later installed.

Exploration
Use information available to probe for a solution.
Exploring is a modified trial-and-error strategy to manage risk. Unlike a throw of dice, however, it requires a firm sense of purpose and direction. Use this technique to move cautiously in small steps toward a solution.

Example: Doctors avoid committing to a single, incomplete diagnosis of an illness. Through tentative but precise exploration, they determine the cause of an illness and its cure.

Hedging
Spread risk by avoiding decisions that lock you into a single choice if you are not prepared to commit.

Example:  astute investors don't "put all their eggs in one basket." They spread risks with a balanced portfolio of stocks, bonds, and cash.

Intuition
Create options based on your experience, values, and emotions (your gut feelings and your heart)! While often able to arrive at the truth through intuition, don't rely on it exclusively. It can trigger snap judgments and rash decisions. Use logic first, then your intuition to make the decision "feel" right

Delay
Go slow and/or postpone committing yourself to a course of action
if an immediate decision isn't necessary and there's time to develop options.
Sometimes doing nothing is the best decision; the problem will either go away, conditions will change, the path may become clearer as you reflect on it, or events will change the problem itself.

Delegating decision-making or action to another person or group
Sometimes we take on problems that are not ours,
or that the problem can be solved better by someone else.
One strategy towards delegation is to identify stakeholders of the problem.  A stakeholders is a person or group that interest in, or will be affected by, resolution of the problem.  (This is a good practice for all decision-making!)
Another consideration for "out-sourcing" a problem's resolution is to consider if your resources will be adequate to the task.  Resources are time, money, skills, confidence, etc.

Visioning
Focus on the future to uncover hidden opportunities and options that may resolve the problem.
With options, we make better decisions. Without them, decisions become forced choices.
By finding tomorrow's opportunities and developing options, you can make enduring, quality decisions.

Barriers to effective decision-making

Indecision
Avoiding decisions to escape the unpleasant aspects of risk, fear, and anxiety

Stalling
Refusing to face the issue; obsessive gathering of endless facts

Overreacting
Letting a situation spin out of control; letting emotions take control

Vacillating
Reversing decisions; half-heartedly committing to a course of action

Half measures
Muddling through. Making the safest decision to avoid controversy but not dealing with the whole problem

We solve problems and make decisions everyday/all the day:
at home, at work, at play, even at the grocery store!

Some problems and decisions are very challenging,
and require a lot of thought, emotion, and research.  The steps of this guide are designed to help you make good decisions
Good luck!

Flexibility

This procedure looks as if one moves neatly from step to step. This isn't the case.  These steps simply provide a structure for working on the problem. They overlap, and you may have to return to earlier steps or work them simultaneously as you find the best solution.

Examples of flexibility:

• Information gathering occurs in all steps—from recognition of the problem to implementation of its solution
• New information may force you to redefine the problem
• Alternatives may be unworkable, and you'll have to find new ones
• Some steps may be combined or abbreviated

Step 2:  Defining the problem & gathering information

Adapted with permission from
Beckno, John, Action Officer, Chapter 3, Army's Headquarters Training and Doctrine Command, Fort Monroe, Virginia

A:  Approach/attitude/arrange

• Approach your studies with a positive attitude
• Arrange your schedule to eliminate distractions

S: Select/survey/study!

• Select a reasonable chunk of material to study
• Survey the headings, graphics, pre- and post questions
  to get an overview
• Study marking any information you don’t understand

P: Put aside/piece together:

• Put aside your books and notes
• Piece together what you've studied, either alone, with a study pal or group, and summarize what you understand.

I: Inspect/Investigate/inquire/:

• Inspect what you did not understand.
• Investigate alternative sources of information you can refer to:
  other text books, websites, experts, tutors, etc.
• Inquire from support professionals (academic support, librarians, tutors, teachers, experts,) for assistance

R: Reconsider/reflect/relay

• Reconsider the content:
  If I could speak to the author, what questions would I ask or what criticism would I offer?
• Reflect on the material:
  How can I apply this material to what I am interested in?
• Relay understanding:
  How would I make this information interesting and understandable to other students?

E: Evaluate/examine/explore:

• Evaluate your grades on tests and tasks
  look for a pattern
• Examine your process
  toward improving it
• Explore options
  with a teacher, support professional, tutor, etc.

Revised, thanks to
Dwayne Ross; Edward R Wilkens, Stern Center for Language and Learning; Phyllis Utley, Greenville Technical College

You can prepare yourself to succeed in your studies.
Try to develop and appreciate the following habits:

• Take responsibility for yourself
  Recognize that in order to succeed you need to make decisions about your priorities,
  your time, and your resources

• Center yourself around your values and principles
  Don't let friends and acquaintances dictate what you consider important

• Put first things first
  Follow up on the priorities you have set for yourself, and don't let others, or other interests, distract you from your goals

• Discover your key productivity periods and places
  Morning, afternoon, or evening?
  Find spaces where you can be the most focused and productive.
  Prioritize these for your most difficult study challenges

• Consider yourself in a win-win situation
  When you contribute your best to a class, you, your fellow students,
  and even your teacher will benefit.
  Your grade can then be one additional check on your performance

• First understand others, then attempt to be understood
  When you have an issue with an instructor (a questionable grade, an assignment deadline, etc.) put yourself in the instructor's place.
  Now ask yourself how you can best make your argument given his/her situation

• Look for better solutions to problems
  For example, if you don't understand the course material, don't just re-read it.
  Try something else! Consult with the professor, a tutor, an academic advisor, a classmate, a study group, or your school's study skills center

• Look to continually challenge yourself

Whether you're getting ready to apply for admission to college or are seeking a professional certification, preparing to take a standardized exam can be very stressful. Not only do you need to possess a solid understanding of the material covered by the exam, you also have to know how to read questions that sometimes seem to be worded in a deliberately tricky manner.

To compound the issue, you also have to cope with the added variable of dealing with completing your exam with an allotted amount of time in a controlled testing environment. Fortunately, there are many things you can do to take some of the stress out of the standardized test taking process.

Test Taking Techniques

If it's been a while since your last standardized exam, you'll probably need to spend some time brushing up on your test taking skills before you actually take your test. Most standardized exams consist of multiple choice or true/false items, or a combination of the two types of questions.

For multiple choice questions, be sure to read the question very carefully. Try to pick out the key words so you can be confident that you clearly understand what is being asked. The next step is to read each possible carefully and eliminate the ones that are obviously wrong. This process of elimination will help you narrow down your choices for each item, increasing the odds that you will chose the correct answer.

For true/false test items, reading the question carefully is essential. Watch very carefully for absolute words such as "all" and "always". The fact that a particular occurrence is usually true does not mean that it is always true. Remember that if any one part of a statement is not correct, then the answer has to be false.

Test Preparation

During the weeks prior to your scheduled exam date, it's a good idea to complete one or more practice tests specific to the exam you are going to take. Score your practice test questions, and look closely at the items you missed. By making sure you understand the reasons the answers you selected were incorrect, you'll be in a better position to interpret the questions correctly the next time.

While you are preparing for the exam, learn what you can about the manner in which the test will be scored. It is very important to find out if wrong answers count against your score. If they do, you should avoid guessing if you aren't fairly certain which answer is correct. If there is no penalty for wrong answers, however, make sure that you don't leave any questions blank. If a wrong answer can't hurt your score, it only makes sense to attempt to answer every question. Doing so might actually have a positive impact on the outcome of the exam.

On Exam Day

Make sure to eat a healthy meal before you take your exam. Don't go overboard with caffeine or sugar. The last thing you want to deal with is an energy crash while you are in the middle of your test. Leave your house in plenty of time to arrive at the testing center with plenty of time to spare so that you don't incur additional stress related to running late.

The biggest issue you are likely to have to deal with on exam day is stress. Most people find it counterproductive to study or work through practice test items the same day they are scheduled to test. If you have thoroughly prepared for the exam ahead of time, there is no reason to exhaust yourself by cramming immediately before the exam. You should try to be as fresh and rested as possible when you begin the exam. Do your best to relax and focus prior to beginning your test.

Put Forth Your Best Effort

During the exam, make sure to reach each question carefully and think through your responses. Pay attention to the amount of time that has elapsed and the amount of time that is remaining throughout your testing experience. If you have used the proper exam preparation strategies, you'll be in a great position to earn an outstanding score on your next standardized test.

How to prepare effectively for an exam

1. Make sure you will collect all lecture notes and related material at least 2 weeks before the exam. After that this task will be almost impossible to complete.
2. You DEFINITELY need to get some past papers for this exam. Usually you can get them from the library, university web site or from your own tutor. In some cases past papers may be accompanied with answers.
3. 1-2 weeks before the exam talk to your tutor and ask him or her what kind of questions there will be on exam. In 70% of cases you will receive very valuable information which will significantly help you to prepare. Another important aspect is the number and worth of questions.
4. Carefully plan your time for exam preparation. You should give yourself at least 2 full days to prepare. If you are working – take several days off work – it worth it.
5. Start preparation from an early morning. Switch off mobile phone, TV, don’t check your emails and avoid any other disturbances. Make sure you have enough high-calories food (like chocolate).
6. Firstly read all your lecture notes. Vast majority of exams is based on the lecture notes (only or mainly) therefore you don’t need to read all course-recommended books. If you don’t understand something – talk to your classmates, read books, search Internet. Make sure you understand everything.
7. Secondly, answer ALL past exam papers and check your answers. It is useful to collaborate with your classmates because in this case group work may help you to avoid some mistakes.
8. Thirdly, analyse all previous exam papers and information received from your tutor. Try to estimate what kind of exams there will be. Then, assess your capabilities. For example, if you are good with numbers and calculations and KNOW that there will be some questions of such kind on exam, it is advisable for you to concentrate on reviewing techniques related to such questions. Try to plan the questions which you are going to answer (if you are more or less sure they will appear). On 99% of exams students have choice to answer 4 questions from 6 for example), therefore you SHOULD NOT know everything! It is sometimes better to leave some areas and to concentrate on others.
9. If you have a chance – talk to someone from previous year who took this exam. Quite often you can receive some valuable information for them.
10. Make sure you get good sleep before the exam. Many students are much stressed and can’t sleep. Try to use your own tricks to avoid it, for example go to bed earlier, read something, don’t watch TV and etc.
11. Wake up at least 2 hours before you need to leave the house. If you want – do some reading and reviewing, but not much. Eat well. Don’t forget to take all of your lecture notes with you to the university, because you may wish to look at them to clarify something at the last minutes.
12. Take your own stationary: several good pens, calculator and etc.
13. And lastly, when the exam has started – DON’T PANIC even if you seem not to know anything. Relax and write everything you know. Watch the time carefully, so that you have approximately equal amount of time for each questions.
14. GOOD LUCK!