My planner is my best friend. I take it everywhere and record everything, in this way ensuring that my life goes according to plan. Unfortunately, even though my midterms are neatly labeled and color-coded, my planner can’t prepare me for everything. In the past two weeks, I’ve left my Wildcard in all sorts of pants and jacket pockets, left for class without my purse (while still somehow managing to remember my keys), run to the dining hall for ice cream minus those trusty keys (and, of course, sans cell phone to call for help.) There’s only one thing to blame it on… Welcome to midterm season.

Chances are you’ve felt the crunch. Trying to balance studying and extracurricular activities with a crazy social life and personal time can often feel like an impossible challenge—especially when you throw exams into the mix. Either you’re trying to figure out how to squeeze a 25th hour into the day, or you’ve already collapsed into a big pile of stress. No matter what your “crisis of the day” is, there are simple steps you can take right now to conquer stress and move in the direction of enjoying life with its papers and midterms.

Why are students so stressed out in the first place?

“It’s the first time when you’re really in charge of your schedule,” said Julie Morgenstern, New York Times bestselling author of Time Management from the Inside Out. Students are on their own, she explained, often with irregular schedules and without the family support that comes from living at home.

Debbie Mandel, author of Addicted to Stress, agrees. She identified several potentially stressful issues such as getting along with roommates, having a social life and searching for the perfect summer internship. With all these responsibilities, it’s not surprising that students become what Mandel calls a “stress addict.”

“I think young kids in general are over scheduled with extracurriculars by the time they are toddlers,” said Mandel. We are always wondering what’s “next on our to do list,” and yes, admit it–you even brag about how little sleep you got last night because of that lab report.

How do you get the big things done?

What’s the best way to deal with your stress and accomplish everything? Morgenstern has two powerful suggestions. First, utilize her “most helpful core strategy”: a time map. Fill out a gridded schedule of the week with everything you plan to do, from when you wake up to when you go to sleep.

“Block out time for everything that’s important,” said Morgenstern. “Plug in all of your regular committed commitments … [and] look at all the time that’s left.” Make a list of what you need to do during that open time, such as study, exercise and down time.

“Don’t end up without a plan,” advises Morgenstern. The schedule doesn’t have to be completely rigid, but you’ll “waste more time trying to figure out what to do if [you] don’t have a plan.”

Morgenstern’s second strategy for getting the big things done is WADE—Write it down, Add it up, Decide and Execute. Make a list of everything you need to do. Add up how much time each activity will take and be realistic. Then decide when you are going to do each thing. If you’re feeling too overwhelmed at this point, follow the four d’s: delete what you don’t have to do, delay things that can wait until after midterms, diminish the less important items (spend less time and effort on them), and delegate the rest (beg your roommate to vacuum before your parents come).

Finally: “Execute. Once you have a plan, you just hit the button and go,” said Morgenstern.

If you are good at diving into projects, this is a good plan, but what if it’s hard for you to get started? Break it down into manageable chunks, advises Morgenstern. She uses the example of writing a paper: first, set aside one hour just to brainstorm and research. Step two is to make an outline, step three to start the introduction and step four is to work on the main points. By doing your paper in chunks with breaks in between, you can eliminate the stress (and procrastination) that comes with doing it all at once.

To break or not to break?

Breaks are extremely beneficial to your productivity. Morgenstern recommends timing how long tasks take you and how long you can work without losing concentration. Then, work straight through that block, and save the Facebook checking for a break.

“Scientific studies have shown … when you are switching back and forth between activities, it takes your brain 4 times longer to register and process what it’s looking at,” said Morgenstern. So don’t multitask, unless you have an hour to write that 15 minute email.

Another important thing to keep in mind during breaks is to move around.

“[You can] change the way you feel instantly by getting up,” said David Humes, happiness coach and workshop facilitator. “Change your physiology to act like somebody who’s highly energized … and you’ll feel like that.”

In addition to taking breaks, it’s also extremely important to plan free time for yourself, according to Pam Dodd, principal of Clarity Consulting Group and co-author of The 25 Best Time Management Tools and Techniques.

“Don’t sell out on the fun things you want to do – that’s where the balance comes in,” said Dodd. She explained students are often dealing with a “Cinderella complex”: they think they have to get every little thing done before they can even think of “going to the ball.” The balance free time provides is invaluable, so make sure to squeeze it in. And what if someone asks you for a favor during your free time? “Stick to your guns,” said Dodd. In other words, free time is essential, so don’t give it up.

What can I do if I’m stressed right now?

Surprisingly, laugh.

“You can’t be negative and laughing at the same time,” said Mandel. Watch comedies, or just be silly. “It’s free medicine,” she claims.

Both Mandel and Humes are big proponents of breathing to reduce stress. Humes advocates focusing on your breathing without trying to control it, and Mandel recommends picturing your “happy place” and giving yourself a positive, calming message.

Mandel also emphasizes the power of reframing your thinking.

“The key to reframing is your creating a positive story about the situation,” said Mandel. If something goes wrong, instead of reacting, show compassion and understanding. It will make you feel better and keep your stress level down.

In the end, time management and reducing stress can greatly affect your quality of life and happiness. “Your time is pretty much what you have,” said Morgenstern. “Your time is your life so time management is life management.”

It felt so good; now I’m full of regrets. Photo on Flickr, licensed under the Creative Commons.

For most of us, the answer is easy: run to BK. But studies have shown that college students– who often assume their age makes them at the peak of their health, regardless of their behaviors– are far unhealthier than they think. The majority are not meeting nutritional needs for iron, calcium or folate, and many others are overweight or obese. Even at a healthy weight, students may have high cholesterol or metabolic syndrome. Late at night, it’s easy to forget all of this and order the Quad Stacker. But your body will pay for it.

The good news? There are ways to eat healthier, even late at night, without spending a fortune and a ton of time on preparation. And it’s easier than you think! Amy Cartwright, a registered dietician with a private practice in Pennsylvania, shared some tips for eating healthy, whether you chose to make the trek to BK or snack in your room.

If you resist the glow of BK

• Fresh fruits and vegetables are good choices because they are low in calories. Make yourself more likely to eat them by washing and preparing them beforehand so there’s no preparation, and by buying things like low-fat ranch dip and hummus to eat with veggies, and cinnamon and sugar or low-fat caramel dip to eat with fruit.
• Pay attention to serving sizes. “Portion sizes are probably the most important thing when it comes to snacking,” said Cartwright. Buy pre-portioned snacks (think those 100 calorie bags) or portion out the food yourself into plastic bags.
• Check the label. Choose foods high in fiber (3 grams or more per serving) to keep you feeling full, such as fruit and whole-grain granola bars or cereal. Also look for foods low in fat, especially avoiding saturated fat, which can increase your cholesterol.
• Don’t eat and study at the same time. According to Cartwright, “Try to avoid snacking when studying because you’re going to keep going and not really enjoy the snack, and you will eat more than you would really like.” Instead, take special breaks just to eat.
• Avoid caffeine. Instead of soda, drink water or diet drinks that are caffeine free. And if you struggle with staying awake, try eating smaller, more frequent meals to keep your energy level up.
• Beware of the vending machine. “Be prepared,” advises Cartwright. “Have foods available so you are more likely to choose these foods instead of something from the vending machine.”
• Feeling a little overwhelmed by all the tips? “Start small,” says Cartwright. “You don’t want to make too many changes in your lifestyle at once.”

And when you do end up at the Burger King Lounge:

Because sometimes it’s just inevitable. But there are ways to make a BK run without spontaneously developing heart disease.

• Watch how much you’re eating. Choose the single hamburger instead of the double, and don’t supersize those fries.
• Go with grilled chicken instead of fried. The TENDERGRILL® chicken sandwich has 380 less calories than the TENDERCRISP® version.
• Pick healthier sides. Fries might sound good, but they can really pack on the calories. But you’re in luck: with the recent push for healthier options, BK, along with most fast food restaurants, has started providing healthier side options. If you can resist, you are far better off with apple slices, a baked potato, or soup.
• Know your salads. They seem like the healthier choice, but adding croutons and two ounces of honey mustard dressing at BK pulls up your calorie count by 330 (not including the actual salad).
• Be careful with that drink. One BK king-sized chocolate milk shake is a whopping 1,260 calories—over half your suggested calories for one day! Also, avoiding sodas is a good way to cut calories and caffeine.

“[Our] goal is to register and get out to the polls a historic number of students here at Northwestern,” said School of Communication sophomore and volunteer coordinator Kim Castle. As part of this effort, NU Decides is registering students to vote and providing absentee ballot application forms for most states.

According to Castle, all you need is a state issued photo ID (such as your driver’s license) and the last four digits of your social security number. If you drop by the Arch, the Rock, Norris, or Tech, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. by Thursday, Oct. 2, you can fill out the required forms. NU Decides mails everything for you; you just have to wait for your absentee ballot to show up in the mail. It’s that simple– and it’s free, though NU Decides is accepting donations to cover the cost of stamps.

“It’s incredibly important that we all get out and vote because it’s one of the best and most effective ways to get our voice heard,” said Castle.

Already registered to vote? Just click on your state to get the absentee ballot application. Fill it out and go to www.govoteabsentee.org with your zip code to find out where to mail it.

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There’s something new at Northwestern, and it’s not just the people in the purple ‘12 shirts who still smile at strangers on the sidewalk. This year marks a new era of recycling at Northwestern: Gone are the days when you could only recycle two types of plastic and corrugated cardboard, or when there were no blue bins for your Coke bottle at the football game. Northwestern recently expanded its recycling program to include plastics one through five and aseptic packaging, according to Julie Cahillane, manager of refuse and recycling at Northwestern.

For those of you that don’t speak recycle, that means anything from yogurt cups to six-pack rings to juice boxes, and now cereal boxes, can be placed in recycling bins, found in every dorm room. Plus, these neat recycling-bins-plus-trash-can units are making an appearance in Tech, the library and other buildings, so you have no excuse not to walk the extra 10 feet to recycle that can. The football stadium and tailgating lots now have recycling bins as well.

NU Recycling is a branch of facilities management that focuses on recycling and Northwestern’s environmental impact. According to Cahillane, campus recycling has been in place since the early 1990s. Her office works to improve recycling across campus and collaborates with student groups to put on events like Earth Day and the Green Cup competition.

Northwestern’s award-winning recycling program recycles about 1,500 tons each year. Even though that may sound like a lot, it’s only about 26-27 percent of Northwestern’s total waste stream, which means yes, it really does matter if you throw out that flyer someone forced you to take by the Rock. Each item you recycle makes a big difference: For example, recycling one aluminum can is equivalent to the power it takes to watch three episodes of The Office on your TV, according to NU Recycling’s Web site.

So why the push for a greener Northwestern now? According to Mike Mitchell, executive director of the Illinois Recycling Association, college students are a “captive audience” that “insists on having good recycling programs available to them.” The increased number of outdoor recycling bins and GREEN House both blossomed largely from student ideas, Cahillane acknowledged. Changing environmental attitudes throughout the country and the world also play a role: With Obama and McCain arguing over renewable energy sources, and a mountain of plastic trash growing in the Pacific Ocean, colleges across the nation can’t help but take notice.

Another incentive to recycle at Northwestern is the annual Green Cup competition. Each year, dorms compete to see which can save the most energy, and the competition can get intense. “People have gotten pretty into it — from not showering to, I don’t even know,” said Weinberg sophomore Emily Wright, co-chair of Students for Ecological and Environmental Development (SEED). In addition to Green Cup, SEED hosts several programs throughout the year to “inspire sustainable ways of living and working to improve our planet and people’s relations with the planet,” Wright said.

Besides joining SEED and putting the blue recycling bins to good use, there are a few other things you can do to go above and beyond in your quest to save Mother Earth. Check out the list below for tips that fit your skill level (or your level of laziness).

The Obvious

1. Print on both sides of the paper! Think of how many Sudoku puzzles you can fit on the other side of that 50-page Lit reading.
2. Take shorter showers. They’re dark and gross, so why spend more time in them than absolutely necessary?
3. Don’t throw trash in the recycling bins. According to McCormick junior Steve Pflaum, site leader of Northwestern’s off-campus recycling program, the collectors will throw everything from the bin in the trash if it gets “contaminated.”

The Creative

1. You know those plastic water bottles you collect from studying at the library? Put them to good use when you get back to your dorm room by stuffing them with flowers to brighten things up.
2. Better yet, don’t buy plastic bottles — go for a metal one. I promise you’ll look way cool toting it around.
3. Bring your own bags for your groceries when you venture to Whole Foods like Wright does. You’ll blend right in with the organic food-buying crowd.
4. Northwestern gives out free wrapping paper. Yes, you heard right: The dining halls are stocked with newspapers, so take a few and wrap up your roommate’s birthday gift the eco-friendly way.

The Tree Hugger

The next set of tips are from Stephanie Fraser, a Canadian recycling enthusiast who made her own bed from filing cabinets and a door when she was in college. And if these aren’t enough, she has tons more on her blog.

1. Turn an old t-shirt into a cute grocery bag, Martha Stewart-style.
2. Decorate egg cartons and use them to store beads, paper clips, rings, or all the stamps your parents gave you because they thought they had a chance of hearing from you.
3. Join freecycle.org, and you can get/give all kinds of items for free. You post what you have or what you are looking for, and someone in your area responds. It’s that simple. Join the Evanston group here.
4. Instead of just recycling, buy products that have already been recycled. If you have a laptop bag made from toothpaste and detergent bottles, you automatically win any environmental argument.

Remember whatever you do, “you shouldn’t feel like you have to do it. It should be a fun thing,” Fraser says. “You end up spending very little [when you reuse] and the benefits you reap are amazing. You are not the problem anymore, you are the solution.”

Put these tips to good use, amuse yourself while doing it, and most importantly, don’t forget which writer to thank when your dorm wins Green Cup.