Organization: it can be one of the toughest aspects to master as a college student. On top of club involvements and meetings and work responsibilities, various homework assignments from multiple courses can make life seem a tad bit overwhelming at times. Sometimes it feels like there is not enough time in the day to accomplish all of your goals. However, rather than feeling swamped by multiple priorities, there are organizational outlets that can help you finish your tasks at hand, resulting in higher levels of productivity and self-care, and lower levels of stress.
It’s Sunday night. You had a nice, relaxing, enjoyable weekend with your friends, but now it is time to get back into the groove of things. When you are about to enter a new week, and your days flood with due dates for multiple assignments, club meetings, and maybe even a heavy work schedule, it can seem a bit daunting. However, organization makes this all possible. Without it, there is a chance you will have to say goodbye to good grades, club involvement, or a work opportunity.
- Write down your upcoming tasks and responsibilities
Whether this is with a calendar, an organizational planner, or color-coordinated sticky notes, a crucial aspect to staying organized is by knowing what you have to do and when you have the availability to do so. This step also puts a heavy emphasis on planning ahead, giving yourself the appropriate time to complete something correlates with higher success levels. By physically showing yourself what you have to do rather than keeping a mental note, there is a much higher chance you will remember to get it done. My preferred method here is using sticky notes; I like to write out what assignments I have due in which class, and then I like to map out my week, providing a separate note for each day. For example: I’ll have a sticky note titled, ‘Intellectual Heritage’ that notes my discussion board due by the end of the week. I’ll have another sticky note titled by one of the days of the week that says what day (or days) to complete this assignment. This allows me to visually see when I can carve out the time to complete something, and also how much I am planning on accomplishing in a specific day, considering not everything can be done in one day. Think of it as mini daily to-do lists. Sticky notes are also my favorite because I get the gratification of completing something when I can throw away the sticky note… but that’s just me.
- Stick to a schedule
It is vital to include this step after discussing the importance of writing down your upcoming tasks and responsibilities because if we decide to create a schedule/map out or week but do not stay consistent with it, it essentially equates to nothing. That being said, the most significant aspect of this step is to be honest with yourself. If you have a 5-page paper due on a Friday, it would be irresponsible to plan to complete it the day before, just like it would be irresponsible to stay up late to finish an assignment even though you have to wake up early the next day. The reality of it is that we’ve all been there, but by sticking to a realistic and plausible schedule, you can prevent flooding workloads and create space for free time.
- Designate spaces for specific classes
In order to successfully retain information, note-taking can aid in deep learning as well as strong levels of organization in ways that can make studying simple. My biggest piece of advice that I have come to understand as a college student is to designate specific spaces for specific classes or clubs. For instance, I have one singular Google document per each of my five classes this semester, and each class I revisit that document to review and add new information. It is critical that notes have a clear title, and that each lesson is separated (usually the bold or underlined features make this more clear). By keeping all of your notes in one place, it makes it simple to find old pieces of information, relate it back to your new learning, and make an in-depth study guide for future exams.
- Set aside distractions
I feel like we can all relate to being on our phones much more than we would like to. Even after setting time limits and putting my apps in folders so I am less inclined to see it and then click on it, I constantly find myself effortlessly scrolling as the time passes by. In order to stay organized, focus is equally as important. It is impossible to get things done if there is constantly a distraction. With that, prioritize important responsibilities among others. Besides, if you successfully organize your tasks, you will be able to create free time to go on your phone and spend hours watching Tik-Toks like I do, or you could do something you might not do as often such as a self-care night or watch an episode of your favorite television show.
By staying consistent with these four organizational tips, not only can you achieve success through productivity, but you can reduce high stress levels, and produce time to expand your involvement or your interests in other subjects or hobbies. Life is meant to be lived, to be enjoyed, to be explored, not to feel swamped and confined by responsibilities. Organization is the key to a successful and content life. There will always be challenging jobs to fulfill, but knowing how to go about them will diminish the challenge.
Above all, I want to end by saying that self-care should be at the forefront of your daily to do lists. Inevitably, there are times where we are going to feel overwhelmed, but prioritizing your mental health, whether that be through napping, meditating, journaling, exercising, cooking, meeting up with friends, etc., is the most necessary aspect to producing successful work in any realm.