Keeping track of your assignments, social and academic activities, and staying organized independently in college can feel very overwhelming–especially if you’re coming out of a structured high school environment. I am a person who is always making to-do lists, and trying to plan to feel at ease. In college, I have found three personal favorite apps that have significantly aided my organization skills and feel like I’m staying on top of my life.
1. Notion
My number one recommendation is Notion. It is a free app and website that you can download (you do have to make an account) on a mobile device or computer that lets you organize all of your assignments, exams, and class schedule into one. There is a bit of a learning curve, so if you are not super tech savvy there are a myriad of free templates to browse specifically tailored to tracking assignments for college classes. I myself use Assignment Tracker, and have found so much success with it. At the beginning of each semester, after getting the syllabus for each of my classes, I input every single assignment or exam and due date into a giant assignment tracker. On the main page I am then able to see which assignments I have for the week, and can mark off when I finish each one and it disappears–this is arguably the best and most satisfying part. The templates are also usually aesthetically pleasing, motivating me to be in a productive mood and complete assignments. If you don’t happen to land on a template you like (which I highly doubt), you can also have fun and make one from scratch or personalize one to your liking! Overall, Notion has been an absolute lifesaver in terms of keeping track of what I need to get done school-wise each week, and greatly helps me plan ahead.
2. Timetree
Another tool I have to have and use is a calendar; any calendar would work, I just personally prefer Timetree. It is like Notion in that you can use it on your phone, iPad, or on your computer with its website. I don’t track assignments here, but I will put in my exams and class schedule as an extra reminder. What I love about Timetree are the many different color options. . I have a separate color for classes, exams, to-do’s, club activities, social events/plans with friends, and sports! Color coding like this works really well for me, and I would highly recommend it to anyone using the app. You can also add it as a Widget to your phone’s home screen so you can always quickly glance at what you have for the day. You can view the calendar on a weekly or monthly basis which allows you to plan your weeks, but also get a comprehensive view of what you have going on. Additionally, you can make collaborative calendars with your friends or family!
3. Notability
This last app is for my fellow iPad users. Prior to college, I had always used paper and pen notes, however, I had to have a separate notebook for each class (putting notes all together stresses me out!!). Coming to college with an iPad, I knew I wanted an app that I could keep all my notes in one place but still organized. Notability has done just that for me! While it is not free, I think it is so worth the investment. You are able to create dividers (classes), and subjects (categories within each class) to keep everything organized. For each class I usually have a section for class notes, readings–you can directly import documents your professors assign you on Moodle–and exam prep/practice. I love using Notability to take my notes in class or on my textbooks, and annotating any readings I have. There are a ton of different colors to choose from for your notes, and there are so many features to help you make your notes more neat; shape tools, font size, straight lines, and different “paper” templates are just a few!
I know staying organized can be hard, but these three apps have truly made a huge difference, and I hope they can for you too!