This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at SAU chapter.
1. Buy a planner.
While this may seem like an easy organizational step, you’d be amazed at how many collegiates don’t have a planner — and if they do have one, they rarely use it. Planners, agendas, paperweights — whatever you’d like to call them are crucial for living an organized life. Write down all assignments, practices, meetings and work schedules so that you can visually see what your week will look like. Plus, being able to cross off each assignment as you complete it helps keep the motivation going. Check out Kate Spade, Vera Bradley or even Target if you’re on the lookout for a new planner.
*SAU HerCampus Tip: Number your assignments [using 1 as more important, 2 as second important and so on] once you’ve wrote them down in your agenda. Not only does this help you establish your order of completion, but saves the hassle of making a separate To Do list.
2. Use folders.
While I’m not saying you need a folder for every class, I do believe that folders are needed. For me, I’ve found that two folders work best — one for M/W/F classes and one for T/TH classes. If you don’t have many papers or classes, maybe one folder would work in your favor. Just remember; nobody wants to be that student turning in a crumpled and torn paper.
3. Manage your time.
In the tech-savvy world we live in today, managing your time may be the hardest task to encounter. With social media, texting and television, distractions are everywhere. However, when homework begins piling up, it’s time to get down to business and PUT THE CELLPHONE DOWN. Try your best to stay off of social media and your cell phone while working on homework to make sure that a 20 minute assignment doesn’t turn into a 2 hour assignment.
*SAU HerCampus Tip: Can’t seem to get away from Twitter and Instagram while working on homework? Check out SelfControl, a free Mac application that lets you block specific websites for up to 24 hours.
4. Establish a normal sleep schedule.
While you may consider staying up until 3:00 AM, waking up at 8:00 AM and taking four naps throughout the day the usual, it’s not going to help you feel anymore organized. Studies have shown that going to bed and waking up at the same time every day — no matter what is planned — makes you feel more alert and ready for your day. In no way will staying up three hours later than planned help you feel more ready to tackle the next morning.
5. Don’t procrastinate.
Follow the “Don’t do the day it’s due” rule when it comes to homework and projects. If you see that you have three projects due at the end of the week, spread out the work load rather than waiting until last minute. Not only will this save the stress, but you’ll probably end up with a better grade as well.
6. Have a set schedule outside of school work.
Sometimes we forget that there’s actually things to do other than homework. Whether its grocery shopping, laundry or your daily workout, time needs to be found. If doing your laundry at 8:00 on Sunday night is most convenient for you, then plan to do your laundry every Sunday night at 8:00. Stick to a set schedule or you’ll find yourself missing out on valuable homework time doing something that should have been done four days earlier.
7. Remember to breathe.
You can be the most organized person on the planet and still be in over your head in stress. When this happens, just remember to take a step back and take a deep breath. College is hard, but you got this.