Ahh, back to school. For some people, the elation at the new school supplies is enough to keep the drive of school sustained for the whole semester (well, the first week. I’m being optimistic though!). For others, it’s seeing old friends (crushes perhaps?) that makes school fun. For me, it’s the turn of a new leaf. All my old mess-ups are swept away, packed up tight with last semester, and I’m ready for new mistakes—I mean a new beginning. My favorite back to school resolution (be honest, we all have them), is that this will be the year I am finally organized. So far, about a week in, this has been my semester. And maybe, if this is your back to school resolution goal, this semester could be yours too.
Get organized by color-coding. Picture courtesy of Guilt-Free Homeschooling.
Color-Coding
Assign a color to each class. Buy folders, notebooks and highlighters to match that class. Trust me, you’ll thank yourself for it.
Google Calendars
Okay, so the trick to Google Calendars is to give yourself two hours (yes, two hours) to set it up. Add what time you want to be awake daily, plus all classes and club meetings. Add every exam and paper due date, and put a reminder for yourself a week ahead of time, and a progression goal per day (example, if the paper is due Monday, one week before the due date you will want to have an outline done.)
Another big trick is to update the calendar once a week. Maybe you realized that on Tuesdays at 3:00, you get coffee with your friends and study. Add it. It’ll make your life so much easier.
Prepare the Night Before
Read over your planner each night, checking the weather, and figuring out gym time all help getting your life organized. Lay out the light layers you want to wear to class on the night before; it could potentially give you up to 20 minutes of extra sleep.
Update your calendar regularly. Picture courtesy of arrow-tips.com.
Fix Mistakes in a Day
You’re human, and mistakes happen. It super sucks, and is really stressful, but usually it just needs an hour to fix. If you find a day when you don’t have club meetings, or classes, use that time to fix all scheduling/class/homework mistakes.
Routine
Get into one! After 21 days, a habit becomes a routine, and if you commit it to muscle memory, it makes your life so much easier. Trust me, it’s better to have a set time to study each day than trying to squeeze it in the hour before bed.
Consolidating Notes (once a week)
This will be your favorite/least favorite activity. At the end of the week, find common themes and write them down. This will make studying so much easier, and it will set you up for the exam. It takes time, so stay committed.
Reward/Failure System
If you do an excellent job color coordinating and you’re really on point all semester, spring for the incredibly expensive markers next semester. If you realize you haven’t organized your calendar for two weeks, skip dessert. Getting organized is what you make it.