The spooky season might be over, but you know what’s still scary? How busy the end of the semester can be. Midterms have passed, but finals are slowly creeping up, and those semester-long projects with deadlines that seemed far away, now have due dates that are right around the corner.
During a stressful time like this, staying organized and on top of your workload is crucial. And what is going to be your best friend and help you accomplish everything on time? Your PLANNER!
Using a planner is one of the most effective ways to stay organized and is a simple way to keep track of everything. While for some phone calendars/reminders help them stay on track, I best stay organized when I physically write everything down and can visualize it!
Planning can be overwhelming, so here are 3 easy ways to keep your planner organized:
1. Set a reminder or date for when you’re going to fill it out
Image credit: Julia Demopoulos
There’s nothing worse than spending money on a planner and then not actually using it. You’re going to get the most use out of it if you’re actually utilizing its functions. On one of the last days of every month, I set aside a half-hour to fill out the monthly spread or calendar section of the planner for the following month, with obligations, such as classes, work, and events that I know I’ll have during that month. This way I know it is ready to go for when the month begins, and this encourages me to use it more throughout the week, such as using the weekly spread to fill-in when assignments are due!
2. Color code it
Image credit: Julia Demopoulos
Now I know color coding is not for everyone, but definitely give it a try! It makes your planner more visually pleasing to look at, which ultimately helps you see what assignments are due when, and what obligations are occurring when. Also, art is therapeutic for me, so even though looking at all the colors can seem overwhelming, oddly enough color coding my planner is a form of stress relief for me!
Everything I do has it’s own color, for example, work is in blue, Her Campus meetings are in pink, rent being due is in green, etc. Also, each class during the week has its own highlighted color, so that way if something is highlighted in blue, I know it’s for my science class.
3. Bring it with you everywhere
I know some planners don’t easily fit in any type bag that’s not a backpack, but at least during the school week, I keep my planner and colored pens with me at all times! This way anytime I find out about an event I have to go to or a new assignment that is due, I can write in my planner right away. If I didn’t have it with me, I’d have to make a mental note to fill out my planner later, and I know I’d forget!
At the end of the day, there are a million and one ways to plan, these are just a few tips that work for me, and help me stay organized. Use your planner in whatever way works best for you, happy planning!