With a new semester upon us, staying organized could be the difference between letter grades. Over the past few years, I have learned that there are little things you can do to keep yourself organized and make sure you don’t fall behind or miss any assignments.
1. Get a planner
What seems like step one can be the first step in having a more organized year. I’m very picky with my planners, so I normally end up searching for hours until I find the right one for the school year. I personally use mine like a homework agenda instead of putting my entire schedule in. I write any assignments due the next class in the planner and then highlight them when they’re completed.
2. Utilize Google Calendar
Google Calendar has been my life saver this year. Between classes, athletics and three clubs, I found it hard to plan social things into my week. By putting everything into the calendar, I was able to see when I had free time to hang out with my friend, study and schedule meetings if needed.
3. Make a master list of assignments
I found it helpful last semester to have a big list with all of my major assignments for the year listed out by due date. Crossing each one off as I completed it was very satisfying and helped to keep me on track. It also allowed me to get a head start on any undated projects I had due in my free time. The list can be done by hand, or Google Sheets has a template called “Assignment Tracker” that I’ve been using.
4. Color Coding
Some people swear by color coding and here’s why: it’s the easiest way to see your schedule at a glance. One of my friends told me that she “has each class as a different color, and a separate one for each extracurricular.” She said that it helps her remember through the act of writing it down, and also she’s able to tell what she has coming up with a quick look at her calendar.
Overall, there are many systems people use to organize themselves, from making lists to intensive color coding. Since it is the beginning of the semester, try to figure out what works best for you to help start on the right foot. Whatever system you end up using, stick with it. An organization system won’t work if you change it up each week. Constantly switching it up may end up taking more time and hurt you in the long run.
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