One of the best talents that I have utilized throughout my educational career has been my organizational skills. I have always been a neat person, but there are a few things even the messiest people can do every week to have the best shot at success in school. College can be really overwhelming and sometimes you will find yourself balancing a job, an internship, a heavy workload, multiple clubs, etc. As someone who puts a lot on their plate and is as involved as possible, I have perfected these organization tips to help simplify your life.
Tip #1:
Buy a planner. I cannot stress this enough; having a planner is the best possible way to keep track of everything going on at once. I like to buy planners that have a large calendar for the entire month and then have separate pages for each week. This way I can put important dates on my big calendar but keep a more detailed schedule every week. It also allows you to see your month at a glance and look into the weeks ahead!
Tip#2:
Write everything down that is due that week with their respective due date in your planner. I also like to highlight certain assignments based on due dates and how urgently they need to be done. I find it so helpful to see everything I need to do in the week on one page. It is also so satisfying to cross it off once you finish it!
Tip #3:
To-Do Lists are your friend! I keep separate lists for separate activities such as school, clubs, workouts, my job, any meetings I may have, and just miscellaneous to do. I probably have an excessive number of lists, but I’ll always do whatever it takes to stay on top of things!
Tip #4:
Keep a copy of the class syllabus on your desktop so it can be reached easily and quickly. Also, put all the due dates from the syllabus in your planner as soon as you have it. I check the syllabus at the beginning of every week as well, just to make sure I didn’t miss anything. I also keep folders on my computer for each class, semester, and year so I do not have random files and assignments floating around.
Tip #5:
Save time for some self-care. You cannot do anything to the best of your ability if you are not taking care of yourself. Even though I keep a super detailed planner, I allow for some flexibility so I can take care of myself too. Don’t plan every day to the minute; that is too much pressure for any person. Just do what you need to so you can succeed during your college career while also being healthy and taking care of yourself.