For many students applying to college this semester, the stress has already begun to mount. Finishing up community service hours, writing college essays and studying for standardized tests are just a few of the many tasks facing seniors in the upcoming months. So, to help cope with this seemingly insurmountable barrier of tasks, here are few tips that should hopefully make college application season a little less stressful.

Don’t procrastinate:

This is the rule of thumb when it comes to fall of senior year. If you make efficient use of your time and do what you can, when you can, you will be doing yourself a huge favor. Allowing yourself enough time to write a college essay will ensure that it will be as good as possible and not some late night rant.

Make a calendar:

As tacky as it may seem, with an endless cascade of deadlines it’s a definite possibility that more than a few will be forgotten.

“A lot of scholarships do not get filled because students miss the deadline,” counselor Patsy Bentley said.

So be an overachiever and make a calendar. The last thing you would want is to not be able to take a standardized test because you missed the registration deadline.

Don’t shirk rigorous classes:

It can be tempting to drop any classes that may require effort, but it is important to remember that maintaining a strong G.P.A. is vital even when applying to college.

“When a senior student starts their senior year they should make sure that their courses are rigorous,” Bentley said.

And if you’re hoping to drop your tough classes at second semester, remember that many colleges require notification should you decide to do such a thing.

Go onto Naviance:

This is a college applicant’s best friend. Scholarship options, brag sheets and researching career opportunities can all be found on this website.

“I think that every high school student should be signed up to Naviance,” Bentley said.

Remember that if you already registered, your username is your permanent i.d. number and your password is your birth date.

Hopefully, these words of wisdom will make the stressful ordeal that is applying to college, a little easier.