Second semester seems to begin much quicker than first semester, when you had a few more days to prepare and get settled in. Here are a few ways you can get yourself organized for the spring semester grind.
1. Keep a regular planner
This seems like an obvious one, but putting a little extra time into your planner can go a long way. I use this one from papierdemaison, and I use different colored pens to keep classes and meetings separate. I also use stickers (I love these from Amazon) to mark important things or to remind me that I have something special coming up. Taking some time to prepare your planner at the beginning of the year is a really great way to feel organized throughout the semester when you don’t have time to look through every syllabus to figure out what is due each week.
2. Writing a smaller to-do list
I find that keeping a planner is a really great way to keep track of assignments long term, but I also like to have a shorter to-do list of things on my desk so that I know exactly what I need to have done each day. You can make a cute dry-erase board for your desk like this one with a simple picture frame and a typed page of empty lines. It is really satisfying to finish a project or a paper and be able to wipe it away from the list.
3. Getting rid of unnecessary clutter
I know I’m not the only one that brought too much clothing and extra stuff during the fall semester, and the beginning of the spring semester is a great time to clean up your dorm room! Take a look around your room and closet, and think about the stuff you actually use daily. You can probably take home your summer sandals or that sweatshirt that you haven’t worn in months. You can also finally get rid of any extra decor that just ended up getting in the way. Starting your second semester off with a clean dorm room can make it feel like you just moved in.
4. Makeup and cosmetic organization
I find one of the most annoying things to be digging through my makeup bag in the dark at seven in the morning, so I got these makeup organizers to make it easier to find my favorite products. It looks super clean and organized, and I don’t think they take up too much space. They make getting ready in the morning or at night so much more fun, because I can look at everything at once, instead of spending five minutes pulling lipsticks out of a bag.
5. Daily schedule
Throughout the fall, you probably came up with pretty consistent times between classes when you ate, showered, or did laundry. It can be really hard to find those times when your schedule changes in the spring. Try and take some time in the first few weeks of classes to figure out when you have time to eat, shower and, let’s be honest, nap!
Even if you don’t keep up wth these organization hacks for more than the first month or so, at least you’ll have a foundation for those tough first few weeks of the second semester. Get organizing!