How I’m Staying Organized This Semester

No matter how many times I begin a new semester, I’m always nervous for my first few days of class. It can be super intimidating to find all of your classrooms and figure out what time you need to be there, meet your professors and classmates, and get a sense of how the class works. As someone who is going into her sixth semester at Ohio State, I can say that while these feelings never completely go away, you can learn tricks to combat them. Here are some ways that I am staying organized and on top of my classes this semester.

Google Calendar

When I discovered Google Calendar last year, my life was changed. As someone who needs to know exactly where I need to be and what I need to be doing all of the time, this is the perfect tool for me. On Google Calendar, it is really easy to add your events by just choosing the times, you can color-coordinate your categories, and it shows you when things overlap. Along with the calendar, there is a checklist page where you can write down your to-dos. If you get the app, everything syncs to your phone and you can check your calendar at any time.

When I got my class schedule for the semester, I added all of my classes and chose to make them repeat so I wouldn’t have to input them every week. Then, when I got all of my syllabi for the semester, I added all of my due dates for assignments into my calendar as well. I made my classes purple and my assignments orange so it is easy to distinguish between the two at a glance, then I added categories like work, social, appointments, etc. 

Using the checklist feature, I make a separate list for each class, and every week I will add my assignments. When all of my tasks are written down in one place, it’s easier to make sure I got everything done. 

Tracking habits

After a long day of class, it’s easy to fall victim to doomscrolling. While it’s okay (and encouraged) to take breaks, spending all of your free time on your phone is not going to help you accomplish your academic goals this semester. An effective way to make sure you accomplish everything you want to on a day-to-day basis is by tracking your habits.

There are many ways to track your habits, so find whatever method works best for you. Whether it’s a bullet journal, platforms like Notion, a to-do list, or even just your notes app on your phone, you should add this to your routine. When you have an actual list of everything you have to do in a day, it’s harder to look at it and not get them done. 

For example, I am keeping track of how much I read everyday on Goodreads, my workouts on Notion, my assignments on Google Calendar, and my honors project progress on Pacemaker Planner. These are tasks that I want to complete everyday, and having a list to check off motivates me to complete them.

Knowing when I’m Most productive

Personally, when it hits 10 p.m., my brain turns off. I have never been one to stay up late doing assignments or pulling all-nighters to study because it is so much more difficult for me to be productive late at night. That doesn’t give me an excuse not to get my work done, though. So, I have adjusted my schedule to give myself more free time during the hours when I am most productive. 

I love waking up early and having extra time before starting my day. I wake up super early to work out, and after, I feel refreshed and awake and ready to be productive for a few hours before leaving for my first class. This way, I don’t have to force myself to stay up late getting barely anything accomplished. Whether you’re like me, you’re a night owl, or you feel your best right in the middle of the day, this is when you should give yourself time to get assignments and studying done. 

keeping my space clean

I once heard that your room is a reflection of your mental state. I believe this to be true, because last semester, my room was constantly an unorganized mess. When you have a lot going on, keeping your room clean can be on the bottom of your list of priorities. But if you surround yourself with chaos, it will reflect in other areas of your life. 

This semester, I am going to keep my space organized in order to keep my mind organized. When you come home from a busy day of classes and clubs to a calm, clean space, you will feel rested, refreshed, and ready to get back to work the next day.

We got this!

Even though starting a new semester can be intimidating, it can also be a fresh start and an opportunity to get ahead of the game. Use these tips to stay organized and achieve your academic goals this semester.

• academics
• Calendar
• class
• college
• organized
• school
• tips