Dear First-Years, now that you’ve spent nearly a month on campus learning your professors’ names and figuring out how to finesse Frank’s dinner menu, I’m sure you’ve noticed your workload is starting to get heavier and harder to manage. As a Sophomore who prides myself on my fine-tuned time management skills, I am here to help! I spent most of high school and the entirety of my freshmen year trying out every habit, assignment, and schedule tracker available online, so you didn’t have to. Here are the three tools I use to never miss a deadline and always take care of myself (plus some honorable mentions).
Notion
I could write a five-page love letter to Notion. It is primarily an application with features like project tracking, to-do lists, a calendar linked to your Google Calendar, and more. Notion can be used for anything and is entirely customizable to fit your needs and aesthetics. Many people can find the “do it yourself” aspect of Notion a bit daunting, and for those people, there is a wide array of templates to choose from that fit their needs. I love the assignment tracker with automation templates and the academic dashboard for students’ templates. However, after a few years of practice, I created an organizational format that worked for me. You can also use Notion for group projects where you can assign tasks and track each other’s progress to hold each other accountable and ensure everyone is on the same page. If you also download the Notion Calendar onto your computer, you can link it to your Google calendar, which I like, compared to opening another browser. Another feature of the Notion Calendar will be added to your menu bar on the top of your desktop, telling you when an event and its duration. Another aspect of Notion I love is the ability to create multiple workspaces. If you wanted to, you could have a different designated section for each class, each project, and each club you’re a part of.
Finch
Personally, I couldn’t stay on top of my schoolwork without paying attention to daily activities. I can definitely say Finch lets me hold myself accountable. Finch is a habit tracker that links your daily tasks with the growth of a chick you can name, dress up, and send on adventures. In addition to having a daily to-do list, Finch is also fully equipped with breathing exercises, soundscapes, and movement videos to help you improve your mental and physical health. Another aspect of Finch that I love is that every time you open the app, it asks you a check-in question to see how you’re feeling about the day, and through those check-ins, you can track your mood throughout the month. I mostly use this feature to help supplement and add to my journaling at the end of the day. The feeling of ticking off one of your tasks and gaining more points to spend on clothes for my finch Sage is akin to getting a gold star for reciting my ABCs correctly. Finch creates a fun reward system for all your to-dos, from small mundane tasks like brushing your teeth and getting out of bed to sending your professor that email or finishing your big research paper. At first, this may seem silly and useless, but as I’ve learned, it ends up being a great motivator to get the menial but essential tasks of life done.
Google Calendar
Now, I know we’re all pretty familiar with the basics of Google Calendar, but not many people know how helpful GCal can be for setting goals and tracking assignments. Everyone can access the professional Google Calendar through your Colgate email, which allows you to track how much time you are allotting to a class or project by color-coding your calendar. I utilize this feature by assigning each class a color and then inputting any related work under that respective category to better visualize how to organize. One of my best tips for using Google Calendar as an assignment tracker and time management, in general, is using the task feature in Google Calendar. I will create one task for a project or major essay and break down each component into subtasks. If you’re smart about it, Google Calendar can be where you go for your to-do lists, scheduling, and planning out your workload.
Honorable Mentions:
Physical Planners: I cannot stress enough the importance of having a physical planner and calendar. For one thing, we spend all day looking at screens in class on our computers and iPads and watching TV. Adding screenless organization to our lives is essential to avoid eye strain and bring us back to reality. I recommend the companies Papier or Sugar Paper for planners and calendars.
Flora: I have used Flora for years, on and off. It uses the Pomodoro method of timing to get work done. What I don’t love about Flora is that you have to keep the app open to gain “points” for the time you spend studying, which causes me to get more distracted by my phone. However, I know many people who have had success with it, so give it a whirl.