Staying organized in college is much easier said than done. You have too many things to do and not enough time. Your brain becomes jumbled between due dates and real dates. You turn in your discussion board exactly two minutes before it’s due and realize it’s time for a change. Luckily, there is a simple and affordable solution. A safe haven that comes in different shapes and sizes, which you can carry around with you on a day-to-day basis: a planner.
Courtesy: Me and My Big Ideas
1. The Bigger, The Better
The more clearly you can see things, the easier it is to be organized. In this case, buy a big agenda, space out your to-do list and clear up your mind. When you have a big agenda, you can write out your day-to-day and hour-to-hour, which is a key component to becoming organized.
2. Write it
It has been proven that when you write things down you remember them easier. Thus, having an agenda is a key component to remembering your busy schedule. I promise, you’ll remember your assignment is due Monday by midnight more so after writing it down in an agenda rather than the notes section on your cell phone. When you write things down you can see your whole week ahead of you and plan accordingly.
3. Taste the Rainbow
A great way to keep yourself even more organized is to color code. The best part is you get to decide which color means what. For example, you can write all your ENC assignments in red and your STA assignments in purple. Not only can you color code your classes but also important due dates or tests. It goes beyond that though, you can color code your life! Write down all your work shifts in blue and what designated gym day it is in green! A colorful life is a happier life!
4. Day to Day
One of the easiest ways to stay organized is to write down your day-to-day.This is where having a bigger agenda comes in handy. In your planner I suggest you write down what you have to do by the hour. Yes the hour! Start the first line with your first class and section it out by three areas: morning, afternoon, night. Write down everything you have to do from morning assignments up until your nightly routine. Even include things like going to the gym at 4 p.m. or going grocery shopping at night. I promise writing your entire day out lets you see what your next 24 hours are like which can really help for keeping up with assignments and scheduling.
5. Section it out
You have so many different things to juggle in your life and a lot of those things fit different categories, so it’s best to categorize your life and your agenda. This can be done by color coding like I said before, or personally I like to write down all work and errands at the bottom of the page and keep my school work at the top, that way I can easily look to what part of my day I want to tackle.
6. Plan Ahead
As soon as your teacher announces that an assignment is due two weeks before and you aren’t planning on doing it until the night before, write it down. Write down the day you found out, a week before it’s due, and at least three days before it’s due. Even if you end up procrastinating on it, you’ll still have the due date in the back of your mind. Don’t forget to color code!
7. Double Up
I don’t want my agenda getting lonely so I double up on my organization and get a desk calendar to upkeep my schedule. I usually get a monthly calendar that’s only $7.99 at Office Depot. I write out only important dates like, birthdays, exams, work schedule, and like to color code all the categories.
8. Cross it out
The most satisfying thing about owning an agenda is crossing things off that you have accomplished. It may look messy, but it certainly brings about a satisfactory feeling that YES, you are accomplishing your daily goals. The messier your agenda looks from crossing items out, the more you’re accomplishing.
9. Odd One Out
A key component about organizing your agenda is signifying your important assignments. This can be done by bullet points, arrows, or color-coding. It is important to Bold up that you have an exam on the fifth. Remember this is going to be the first thing you look at when you open your agenda so signify accordingly. My preference: drawing an arrow to the left of all my important assignments that must get done ASAP!
10. Repetition is Key
Another factor of owning an agenda is writing down your weekly assignments no matter how used to it you are by now. That discussion board due every Tuesday and Thursday by 8 a.m.? Write it down. Even though this seems repetitive and pointless it is important. Write it down every week, even when the semester is almost over. Like I exclaimed before, writing things down helps you memorize them better and writing down that weekly assignment reminds you not miss out on those easy points to up your GPA!