Staying organized in college can be tricky business. Between the class schedule that changes every 3-5 months, the tiny apartment or dorm you probably live in, and trying to balance a social life, it can feel overwhelming and chaotic at times. Here are 3 simple things you can do to help stay organized:
1. The planner
The best way to trick yourself into staying organized is by finding a cute, colorful planner. Think about whether you’d like a full sized one to make plenty of notes in, a mini one to carry with you everywhere you go, or something in between. Then, head to Target or your local craft store and choose one (they can range from $5 all the way to $65 *cough cough Erin Condren* depending on how fancy you’re feeling). Next, and this part’s important: BUY STICKERS. Decorating your planner before you ever even write anything in it is a not only therapeutic, but will motivate you later on to keep using it because you invested so much time in making it cute. Besides stickers, also think about colored pens, sticky notes, and white out to avoid those inevitable mess-ups.
2. Google calendar
Now, I realize I just told you to go out and buy a physical pen-and-paper planner, but hear me out: Google calendar changes lives. Personally, I write assignments, important dates, and deadlines in my planner, and use Google calendar to keep track of my daily schedule. Having an app that works on both your phone and your computer that has your class schedule with room numbers and times, as well as any meetings or activities that you might’ve otherwise totally spaced on is SO convenient – plus, for the really important things you’re worried about forgetting, you can just set an alert (or share with your BFF and have her remind you)! The combination of digital and hard copy planners is the best way I’ve found to keep your schedule organized.
3. Pick one thing to focus on
So far, I’ve talked about ways to organize your schedule and your daily “to-do’s.” However, there may be tons of other aspects of your life that you want to keep organized – your bedroom, for example, or your car, or your morning routine that constantly gets you out the door ten minutes late. My suggestion is, pick ONE. Choose the one item you want to focus on getting organized, and stick to it. This can be as simple as making your bed every morning, setting a schedule to vacuum your apartment every Sunday at 11 a.m., or following the one minute rule (if it takes one minute or less to complete, do it immediately). Once you have that mastered and the habit has become second nature, you can move on to the next tiny goal. This will help you avoid suffering from the New-Year’s-Resolution-Syndrome, where you set out to accomplish so many things at once that most or all of them are bound to fall by the wayside.
TL;DR: If you take one thing away from this article, please let it be this: buy stickers. They will improve your quality of life instantly, guaranteed. Happy organizing!
Gifs Courtesy Giphy