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How can I stay ahead of schedule in my classes?

I've just begun a new semester at UIC after Christmas break. Being a #computer-science major, I've had quite a difficult time catching up with my schedule for the past several semesters. Now I want to do things a bit differently. I want to be ahead so that it doesn't become too tight for me later on -- or worse -- that I fall behind.
What are some good steps to take in this direction?

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Theresa’s Answer

I had a giant calendar, marked each class in a different color. Took each syllabus and marked papers, tests, and even worked backwards marking in times to work on this or that to save myself. It worked very well. Still busy, but I didn't have to pull any all-nighters. Not once.
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Thomas’s Answer

Time Management is key in college. It is easy to get behind because of some of the time required to complete assignments. I physical calendar will help, but why not use technology to your advantage. There are many calendar/task apps out there that can help you stay on top of you schedule. I personally used Google Calendar and its reminders and tasks to keep me in step. Find the app that works best for you.
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Kyle’s Answer

If you are asking about how to stay ahead of your course work (homework, new topics, exams, etc..) in your classes:
- Build good habits: Re-read your notes from a class that night. Start homework/projects early. A great book to read on how to build good habits and eliminate bad ones is "Atomic Habits" by James Clear
- Get help: If there is ever a subject that just doesn't quite click seek out help sooner rather than later. Your professors, TAs, and other classmates are available to help you.
- Time management: keeping a calendar of when things are due, when exams are, and all things related to school/life can tremendously help you stay organized and stop any "Oh no! I forgot this is due!" moments.

If you are asking about how to stay ahead in terms of when you will be graduating and how many classes to take each year:
- Talk with an advisor: They do this exact thing! They can help you plan out all your future courses to make sure you graduate by a certain date.
- Consider Winter/Summer Classes: You can often take general studies classes that are required to graduate during the breaks between semesters/trimesters. This can help reduce the number of classes you'll need to take during your normal semesters/trimesters.
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Zahid’s Answer

Time management and good studying habits are two big factors in determining your success and being on track with your subjects. Like Theresa's suggest, I would get big calendar or a white board and mark down all the due dates for your assignments. Also, start planning for each assignment. Knowing how long the assignment take you, put in some buffer time, and know when you need to start to have it done by the due date.

Best way to do it is just keep working on the your assignments. By that I mean read your material the day before class, after class review your notes and get started on the assignment. Once you are done with the assignment, read the next assignment's material and get started on the assignment so when the class covers the material you'll have ahead start and you'll be able to fill in any gaps you didn't understand after the class.

Also, some classes are harder than others. So read the material ahead of time and due the assignments for easy classes first and get them out of the way and then focus on the harder ones. Lastly, make friends or study groups with others, especially in harder classes so that you can collaborate on the assignment.
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