Besides midterms and finals, the beginning of the semester can be one of the most stressful times in the semester. “Syllabus Week” is more like, “Let’s see how much information we can cram into your brains week.” All your professors will review their syllabuses and then, most likely, jump right into lecture, leaving you in the dust. With all this new information from classes, events that are stacking up, and just getting back into the swing of things, there is one thing that is clear: you need to get organized.
Planners are an absolute life saver. Without my planner, I would most likely forget about at least half of the things I’m supposed to do. Having all your information in one place will save you a lot of time and stress. Something people tend to struggle with is how to organize their planner, so here are a few tips.
1. Write down any important dates
Whether this includes anything from holidays to events on campus to birthdays, if you want to remember it write it down.
2. Write in information from your syllabi
Homework, assignment due dates, tests, midterm dates, final dates, anything important outlined in the syllabi. This way you know exactly what is due and when it is due. This will save a lot of time because you won’t have to refer back to all of your syllabi for information, you’ll have it in your planner.
3. Designate a section for To-Do lists
Whether it’s in the bottom corner, on a blank page, or in a separate notebook completely, make room for daily to-do lists. Write anything and everything that needs to be done on your to-do list. To-do lists are the next step when it comes to a planner. You already have everything written down in your planner, now you just make one list of the things that need done and in which order to complete them.
4. Get Creative!
Color coding and stickers often help people with organization. Make your planner pop with cute designs and stickers that’ll keep you wanting to use it. If your planner is boring and lacks creativity, you run the risk of getting bored with it.
Here are some other tips not pertaining to planners:
1. Know yourself
If you know that you take 30 minutes to get ready and it takes you 10 minutes to walk to class, don’t wake up 20 minutes before class causing yourself to be late. If you know that you have to start studying a week before an exam, don’t wait until the night ahead. You have to know yourself. Get to know what works for you and what doesn’t and adjust your routines accordingly.
2. Keep an organized room
Keep a clean room and know exactly where everything is. A messy room can cause you to be stressed and can negatively affect your focus.
3. Leave time to relax
You can’t be doing something productive every hour of every day. Leave some time for yourself. Packing your day morning to night with something to do isn’t good for you. You need those study breaks. Neglecting yourself will never turn out well for anyone.