It is that time of the semester again. The sun is starting to stay out longer, and so are the students. It seems every weekend there is a ball, or some other social event that takes up your time. This is an important part of campus life and shouldn’t be dismissed, but like mom always says, “your studies have to come first!”
An easy way to begin to let your studies slide is to let your life get disorganized. Keeping your calendar of events and assignments up-to-date is essential. Trust me, I know it is much easier said than done. Being organized is not as easy as Pinterest likes to make it out to be. The truth is, no one can ever have every aspect of their life in order in a neat little color-coded notebook. It just isn’t realistic and most busy people (like myself) just don’t have the time to pencil everything in either. Not to bash on anyone who does use this method, but this just isn’t the article for you. I’m writing to those who do their laundry right before they run out of socks then forget to fold it for a week. To those who have never genuinely finished a to-do list and find themselves perpetually running late. For all of you, I’m here to help.
Here are 3 easy tips to help make you feel like you have your life under-control (even when you really don’t):
1. Write a List: When life feels like it’s piling up at the door and I have so much work I don’t even know where to start, the best way to get myself to sit down and focus is by making a list. I know this is a super cliché answer, but my lists aren’t your stereotypical “To-Do” lists. I like to consider them “Action Plans” because they tell me how I am going to accomplish the seemingly impossible. I order my lists by necessity, priority, and how close the deadline is. If I have a really big assignment maybe I’ll split the work up into segments or plan a snack break halfway through. Using an action plan like this helps me break down my huge list of things to do into tiny little individual victories that feel more feasible.
2. Try Using the Pomodoro Method: Like most other chronically disorganized people, I struggle with procrastination. The Pomodoro Method is one study technique that really helps me keep my time wasting to a minimum. The Pomodoro Method operates in 20-minute time intervals. For the first 20 minutes you are to set a task for yourself to complete, and work at it till your timer goes off. This 20-minute work session is considered 1 Pomodoro. After you complete a Pomodoro, you set the timer again, but this time for a five-minute break. After the break, you work again to complete another Pomodoro and repeat this cycle until you have clocked 5 Pomodoros and four 5-minute breaks. On the 5th break you set the clock for 20 minutes to allow yourself a reward for your work. You can repeat the Pomodoro process as many times as you need to get all your work done. I have found this method to work well because it forces me to acknowledge my procrastination, and use it for my benefit. I find that I will procrastinate more if I try to stop myself from doing it, but by planning in breaks I am able to be more productive.
3. Keep Your Work Area Conducive to Work: I’m not saying here that you should always have your desk spotless, but the trick is to keep your desk organized even if that organization method is something that only makes sense to you. I find that something as simple as having a paper tray on my desk to keep all my loose handouts and notebooks in helps my desk feel a lot easier to approach. Operating under this system of “organized chaos” helps me feel just a bit better about myself, and a little more focused when I decide to sit down and work.