A comprehensive guide for the chronically disorganized college student
As busy college students, we have a myriad of obligations and engagements to keep track of throughout the day. I’m personally guilty of being a very forgetful person, and this requires me to be extra organized in order to stay on top of my responsibilities. Getting organized is still an uphill battle for me, because it’s much easier to be lazy than it is to keep my life clutter-free.
1. Write things down RIGHT AWAY.
When you make an appointment, hear about an upcoming assignment or exam, or receive any important information that you just know you’ll forget about in 5 minutes, write it down. Carry a mini planner with you, so you can immediately write down your responsibilities as they come to you. Invest in a whiteboard where you can write down your daily goals, and hang it in a place where you can easily see it. If you are a more digitally-inclined person like myself, try using an organization app on your phone and turn on notifications so you don’t forget to check back on the things you’ve written down previously.
At the beginning of the semester, read through every one of your class syllabi, and log every assignment due
At the beginning of the semester, read through every one of your class syllabi, and log every assignment due date and test date in your planner or reminder app. If you use a digital planning app like Apple Reminders, have it send you a daily ongoing reminder about an upcoming deadline at least 1 to 2 weeks beforehand, so you are aware that you need to start preparing.
2. Organize your class materials and minimize the clutter in your life.
Keep papers for different classes separated in different folders or binders, or invest in an all-in-one accordion folder that you can carry with you everywhere. Better yet, try scanning your handouts and uploading them to your laptop or google drive, or type up your in-class notes so that you have fewer individual papers to worry about. Many professors provide digital versions of in-class notes and handouts, so take advantage of paperless organization methods so you don’t have as many physical materials to worry about filing away.
Follow the “If you take it out, put it back” rule: If you pull four different sweaters out of your closet while getting dressed, put them back as soon as possible to minimize clutter. When your room is messy, you will begin to feel mentally overwhelmed and lose motivation to get things done.
3. Take advantage of digital planning resources: but use only one.
Digital planning means that you won’t lose track of a physical planner, and you’ll have less paper clutter to worry about. Keep track of all of your tasks by using an app that can sync to your computer as well as your phone. As I mentioned before, I use the Apple Reminders app, because it syncs with both my MacBook and iPhone. It allows me to make separate lists for each of my classes, as well as my non-academic responsibilities. I can also set timed reminders that pop up on both my laptop and my phone, so I never forget about my appointments and assignments.
Other great apps include Todoist and Google Calendar, both of which sync up with your internet browser and phone and send timed reminders. Since your to-do list is online, you can access it from anywhere, and don’t need to remind yourself to carry a physical planner with you. However, try to downsize the number of reminder apps that you use, as all of your tasks should be written down in one place. This way, everything you need to know is in one place, and you won’t forget about an appointment you wrote down on one app but not on the other.
4. Make a schedule and stick to it by cutting out distractions.
Create a daily schedule at the beginning of each week, including personal and professional appointments, club meetings, and study time. Don’t overbook yourself, and allow time for leisure and self-care.
Writing something into your planner does not mean you’ve actually gotten it done. If you allot a portion of your day to studying, actually study during that time. Cut out the distractions around you (phones, social media, entertainment, friends).
Use a temporary site-blocker like the Strict Workflow extension on Google Chrome to force you to stay on task while doing homework online. This extension blocks your choice of distracting websites (i.e. facebook, youtube, reddit, etc.) for 25 minutes, and then allows you a 5 minute browsing break.
Try to avoid studying with your friends unless you actually need their help to finish an assignment. As our course loads get heavier throughout the semester, my friends and I tend to have less time to hang out with each other. Whenever my friends and I are planning on spending the evening at the library, we decide to get a group study room together so we can catch up while being productive. However, we always end up talking to each other instead of getting our work done. As much as we may like to overestimate ourselves, our brains are not designed to multitask, so socializing with friends will always win over doing unappealing homework. Separate productivity time from social time, and you’ll find that you’ll have better quality time with friends after taking care of your responsibilities first.
5. Be Prepared!
Prepare for your morning the night before. Lay out your clothes the night before so you’re not wasting time changing in and out of outfits in the morning. Pre-pack your backpack with everything you’ll need the next day. If you don’t have a dining plan, try meal-prepping at the beginning of the week and keeping tupperware lunches in your fridge to grab as you walk out the door.
6. Stay motivated and be proud of your accomplishments!
The main point of organizing yourself is to reduce your stress levels, not increase them. Don’t look at your to-do list as an untameable monster. Instead, focus on each task one at a time. You’ll feel good about yourself as you see yourself check off each completed task on your to-do list.
Go easy on yourself, pat yourself on the back for what you’ve gotten done, and remember that it is extremely hard to stay on top of absolutely everything in your life. Don’t get demotivated if you miss a deadline, but use it as a learning experience instead. Getting organized is an uphill battle, but as you begin crossing off more things on your list, it’ll get easier, I promise!