I am sure most of you have a consistent routine that you follow every day. Whether it is waking up at a certain time, going to bed at a certain time or even what times you study, these parts of your day are important routines. I did not know the importance of a good routine until my freshman year of college. In high school, our routines were laid out clearly for the most part: wake up, go to school, go to clubs/sports/work, go home, do homework, maybe relax and repeat. We lived this cycle over and over again, Monday through Friday. But in college, we have classes at all times of the day and random gaps in between them.
As a morning person, I personally enjoy getting my classes done at the start of the day when I am more energetic, but now that I have classes ending as late as 5 p.m. I have had to make some changes to my daily routine. What I have found to be the most helpful is to make a to-do list the day before. I list out everything that I want to get done and what times I have events, classes or other activities. These lists are almost identical every day, with minor changes based on the different classes and activities I take and have on each day. A lot of people do not like planning their day by minutes, but in college, I have found that it helps me fill the weird gaps in between classes with productive things rather than using my phone.
Another way I enhance my routine is by using my planner. I have a Clever Fox, and it is the best planner I have ever used. It not only has room for you to lay out what you want to get done every day and what you have each month, it also has room for a vision board, a section for your priorities of the week, a notes section and more. Having a good planner helps me to keep track of all of my activities and assignments so that when I create my daily to-do lists I know what I need to work on and what activities I have planned.
Doing these things to stabilize your routine are easier said than done. The key to having a routine is repetition. The more you repeat your routine the easier it will become for you to complete. I would suggest starting by giving yourself lots of time to complete your tasks when you write your to-do list, so you are not so stressed to get them done; then, as you repeat it a few times, you can adjust the amount of time you need to complete them. Having a routine in college has helped my happiness increase and my grades improve, and has helped me to find the time to have hobbies and hang out with friends more often.