The biggest help when I started college was not from a mentor or a campus resource, but from my planner. I hadn’t used a physical planner, but after receiving one as a gift, I decided I should use it. I was nowhere near as busy in high school as I was my freshman year. Although this guide is based on my own experience, anyone who wants to try out a new style of organization might find this helpful.
Connect to the cloud
It’s so nice to not have to pull out my planner every time I need to quickly look at my week. Putting events and assignment deadlines into my iCloud calendar is also how I determine what needs to go in my planner. It helps to have your calendar connected to multiple devices so you know from a quick glance what you have due. Any calendar app or software that gives you access on multiple devices works!
Color coordinate
Have you ever seen those tweets about what color each subject is? Use that association to distinguish your courses from each other. Match them between your physical planner and your online calendar so the association remains the same. If you use physical paper for your courses, you can also apply these colors to folders, notebooks or binders. That way, when you look at due dates or class times, you won’t get confused about which class it’s for.
Make More Sections
Most planners have two sections on the weekly layout: one side for tasks and one for events. Take full advantage of this feature and add your own if necessary. Whether you like to write specific details or vague notes, it’s helpful. This will also allow you to mark tasks off when you’re done and feel more accomplished.
Update weekly
Personally, I find that it’s easiest to update my planner at the beginning of every week. On Sundays, I go through my calendar to figure out what assignments I’m doing and when. This is helpful because many professors don’t update their Canvas pages until Sunday, or even Monday, which gives you an opportunity to catch new due dates, including changed due dates.
update daily
The easiest way to do this is to carry your planner around with you all of the time, or to update it every day when you get home. For example, if you know that you added coffee with a mentor to your phone calendar, write it down when you’re with your physical planner. You never know which planner you’ll have in front of you when you’re budgeting your time so keep the same information in all places.
Set Reminders
If you’re still finding it difficult to keep track of deadlines or event times throughout the day, set reminders or alarms. I set an alarm five minutes before my Zoom classes begin so I can open my computer and log on without missing anything. I also set an alarm for five minutes before I should leave my apartment to go anywhere. Time flies if you’re having a conversation with a friend or scrolling through TikTok. This also stops you from checking your phone often while waiting for the time to pass.