As the semester picks up and midterms approach, it becomes harder and harder to keep everything organized. Between dealing with a mix of in-person and online classes and dealing with the various different platforms that professors are using, it becomes difficult to manage everything. What assignments are due tomorrow? Which day do I attend this class in person? And an array of other questions arise that need to be answered. The following are some easy tips to stay organized for the rest of the semester:
- Get and consistently use a planner.
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This is a big one. While most people have a planner, after a while, it isn’t used as consistently as it should be being used. I’ll admit that after a week I had already quit using mine, but now as the semester starts to get hectic I find myself using it full force now. My advice would be to split each day down the middle and have one column for things due that day, and another for things you want to get done that day.
- Have a daily To-Do list.
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Each morning or prior night, sit down for a few minutes and outline what you want to get done for the day. Throw some easy things on there — like eat breakfast and take a shower — so you’ll see some check marks early on in the day and you’ll already feel a sense of accomplishment. I also always throw a little more than I think I might get done on there because missing one thing when you put more than enough is not a big deal but missing one thing when you needed to get it done that day is. Try to get through 90 percent of your list every day!
- Set aside “me time” every day.
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If you expect to get work done consistently from when you wake up to when you go to bed I have some news for you, not possible. But instead of slacking off throughout the day until you realize you didn’t get nearly enough done, try setting aside designated “me time” during the day. This will help keep you on track to accomplish everything on that To-Do list we talked about earlier. For me, my “me time” is first thing in the morning when I drink my tea and read or watch TV, and after dinner at night when I do the same. Besides that, I try to stay on track of getting work done throughout the day.
- Keep your school materials organized.
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If your school materials are thrown about all over your room or apartment, you might have some trouble keeping yourself organized. Try setting aside space in your room for your notebooks, folders, books and whatever else you have for school so that you’re not frantically searching for Intro to Bio when you’re about to take a test. And, yes, keeping your school materials organized also includes those on your laptop. Keep folders for each class on your laptop to put all documents into — papers, handouts, etc. — so you’re never stuck searching for your syllabus that’s hidden somewhere on Canvas.
The above are several quick tips to try and keep yourself organized as the semester starts to get busy. Take one day this week to dedicate to getting yourself organized and then keep it up for the rest of the semester. You’ll find you’re a bit less stressed when your physical life is more organized!