It can be difficult for college students to transition from four months of summer to the start of a brand-new school year. Whether or not you had structure from summer jobs or were able to decompress while on a family vacation, it can still be overwhelming to adjust to a new schedule in the beginning of the year. Here are some tips to stay organized.
1. Set a Specific Day of the Week to do Chores
Write a list of house chores or dorm chores you need to do. Once week, you can do laundry, vacuum, take out the trash and any other tasks you need to do. Sunday is a good day to organize because it sets the tone for a productive week ahead. Recycle school papers that you no longer need and old receipts to reduce clutter. Sunday is also a good day to do laundry because it sets you up for a week of fresh clothes.
2. Plan Monthly, Weekly and Daily
Ask yourself: what can I get done today? Prioritize finishing the assignments you need to get done for the next day. Get started on some of the assignments that are due in the next week and month. Look at a monthly calendar with all the written due dates to help you narrow down what you should do today.
3. Streamline your Mornings
Many students have to get up early, not only for classes but for other things such as student teaching for education majors, clinicals for nursing majors and practice for athletes. Doing simple things such as setting out an outfit to wear the next day, packing your backpack and prepping your coffee maker can make a busy morning more relaxed.
4. Just do it
Often, we have a long list of what we need to do but the tricky thing can be accomplishing it. We may procrastinate on getting it done because we don’t know where to start. Highlight the three most important things on your to-do list and get them done before moving on.