The first few weeks of the new semester is when we all develop the habits that will continue over the next few months. Will this be the semester that you finally wake up early every morning for the gym, or the semester that you miss every Monday morning class?
Some of the most important things to concentrate on at the beginning of a new semester are good organizational habits to make the entire rest of the semester easier.
“If I had more time to be organized, it’d be great,” sophomore Maureen Helm said. “I make post-it notes all the time and lose them.”
As much as we all try to stay on top of our game, being organized is pretty tough unless you already have a game plan in place. This can be done with just a few easy steps.
First, start out by creating a schedule of everything in your life that will happen weekly. This includes classes, work schedules, club meetings, etc.
With a weekly schedule to look at, you won’t schedule meetings or other things during times that you already have something going on. Knowing what time you’re free will make your life much simpler.
Another essential of keeping organized is a planner. College students without a planner are like trains without tracks–you’ll be lost pretty quickly.
Your planner will be the place for you to keep track of the events and meetings that wouldn’t normally be on your weekly schedule. These are the appointments that we tend to forget most often.
“My planner is huge,” sophomore Anna Laquintano said. “I have my entire life in there. I’d be lost without it.”
Now that you have your planner, you’re ready to tackle all your classes this semester! The next step is staying on top of work that could be assigned months in advance.
This is where your planner can be your best friend once again. When you get your syllabus at the beginning of the semester, look ahead at when tests and larger projects will come up and put them in your planner so you’ll have a nice warning reminder every time you look in it.
“I have a Lily Pulitzer planner,” sophomore Megan Kelly said. “I like to write down everything from the syllabus into the planner right when I get it.”
One last way to stay organized in your school life is to keep the rest of your stuff organized. There isn’t a good chance you’ll be doing work on your desk if there are five empty water bottles and the spilled-out contents of your makeup bag.
Pick one day a week when you have a bunch of extra free time and set aside a few minutes to straighten up for the week. Starting every week with a clean room makes it way easier to make it through the long days.
If you’re able to stay organized over the next few months, you’ll eliminate stress and feel way more on top of your game. So, go get that planner!
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