Midterms are drawing near, and the feeble attempts to keep our school, as well as social life together as best as possible are starting to fail. Spring break is just around the corner and the idea of relaxing sounds impossible with the unlimited number of assignments that are due. In order to finish the semester strong, here are a few tips you may want to use to end the semester the way you started it.
1. Actually using your planner
The best way to keep track of your assignments, social obligations, and even a work schedule is by using a planner. There are many different kinds of planners, so there is one for every person. If you are one of the many people who bought one at the beginning of the semester in the attempt to keep your life intact, but never actually use it, I would suggest that you open it and start writing down everything you have to do.
2. Set reminders on your phone
Since every student has a phone in their immediate area, I would definitely recommend having a set of reminders for things such as class times, assignments, and social outings. If you are able to sync your phone calendar to your computer that could be helpful too, as it is another way to track your coursework and social life. Also, if you attach a sound to the reminder then you will be more prone to do it.
3. Color code your courses
I personally have different colored notebooks and corresponding folders for each of my courses to keep track of which colors I need for each day. This organizational tip is one that I’ve done since high school and works extremely well because that color is associated with that specific class so if you also use that color to write assignments in your planner or on your phone, then you will associate it with that class. Each semester, you can either choose new colors or use a mix of old and new colors to save money on buying all new supplies.
4. Hang a calendar or white board
For me personally, being able to physically look at and write on a monthly calendar or white board is helpful because I can keep track of my work schedule, social events, and class assignments by writing them down, then crossing them off once they are turned in. Every morning I check my calendar for what I have to do each day and attempt to accomplish everything by the end of the day, and if I do not then I write it for the next day. This helps you stay up to date on assignments currently outstanding as well as ones you have turned in and are waiting to be graded.
5. Creating folders on your computer for each course
Using Google drive, it is extremely helpful to create a separate folder for each class and placing all my online assignments in the corresponding folder. This can also help if you are involved in extracurricular that involve any sort of computer work, as they can have folders as well. If you are not using Google Drive, you may be able to create folders on your computer, to use the same organization. I personally also color each folder to the one I use for my supplies, to insure that each class and extracurricular is accounted for and each assignment is stored properly.
Every person is different, and the way everyone stays organized is the same way, as some are more visual, or tactile, or auditory than others. This affects how they remember things, such as assignments, social gatherings, and other obligations they may have. These tips may work for some, but not all. Try them out and see how they work for you, and tweak them to your own personal style or need.