It’s been 2009 for a day and a half. How’s that resolution going? If you managed to not eat cookies–or whatever your resolved to avoid–for the past 36 hours, more power to you. I’m sure you’ll make it for the remaining 8,700-ish hours of 2009. For those with loftier, more self-improvement-rather-than-punishment oriented goals, it’s time to get to work.Starting early in the year can help you avoid situations like not getting your application in on time. There are a great many procrastinators out there, which resulted in a deluge of online applications on the recent Jan.1 due date for online applications. This, in turn, locked up at least one website and caused widespread panic amongst the last-minute crowd.

Just like it’s a good idea to get your taxes done early to avoid standing in line at the post office or bogged-down servers, getting moving on those education goals now can make for a much more pleasant 2009. The economy isn’t in the best shape, so it’s important to take the time to assess cost versus benefit. Online education is a good choice if you can’t afford to cut back on work while getting a degree. Online programs are typically less expensive than traditional, on-campus programs, as well. Getting an education isn’t cheap, so be aware of your finances and how much you can spend. It pays off later, but the upfront investment can sometimes be a bear.

Choose your program and start filling out those applications. An application should be polished. One typo could mean the difference between acceptance, deferment, and even rejection. While it may be tempting to hire a service to write or help write your application, it’s best to do it yourself and be yourself when applying. When you do get accepted to a program, the fact that your got there on your own is going to be far more rewarding. There’s nothing more important to helping you stick with your goals than seeing progress, so start making some.