Between work, internships, classes, completing assignments, maintaining a social life, and setting aside time to study, staying on top of your commitments in college can be absolutely brutal. Especially at a university on the quarter system, like UCSB, it’s even more crucial to always be focused and aware of your responsibilities due to the condensed nature of the course load. Throughout my first year at college, I have definitely gone through a trial-and-error period in figuring out what organizational system works for me to help me stay focused and manage my time in the most effective manner.
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- Give Yourself Your Best Shot
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First and foremost, improving your study skills can only help you to a degree if you do not help yourself. You have to be willing to adapt to a new routine and try out different methods in order to find the best organizational method for you. Do you prefer hand writing or typing your notes out during lecture? Are you a visual, audio, or kinetic-style learning? How can you incorporate this into your study routine? It make take some to figure out what study techniques work best for you and invest the proper materials, but it will most certainly save you from unnecessary stress later on.
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Keep a Running Calendar
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I cannot live with my calendars. Is that a touch dramatic? Yes. Is it the truth? Absolutely. I keep both a physical calendar in my dorm room and a running calendar on my phone with everything on my schedule for the day. I make sure to put in all of my classes, meetings, assignments due, and my professor’s office hours so that I can always aware of what I need to be doing. Having my day scheduled out also lets me visualized my breaks, so that I can more effectively schedule in study time or just takes a few moments to decompress in between classes.
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- Time Management
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Someone once told me that we as humans have all the time in the world to do what we make time for. What do you want to make time for? What if you replace the time you spend scrolling through social media with walking outside or sunbathing before class? I have found that I am able to study, exercise, and eat healthily without staying up all night. You really can do it all in a day if you choose to manage your time efficiently. Also worth noting, due today does NOT mean do today! Don’t wait until the very last minute to complete laborious assignments. If you can, delegate and set aside time to work on assignments periodically to avoid unexpected mishaps and sleepless nights.
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- Staying Academically Focused is going Above and Beyond
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Being a 4.0 GPA student is absolutely easier said than done, but is definitely an attainable aspiration for every student. Although I am still working towards that goal, I have found that keeping a running to-do list on my phone and joining tutorial groups (CLAS at UCSB) have helped me immensely in staying academically focused. Granted, reviewing course material in another class after sitting through hours of lecture on a warm and bright day isn’t always the most enjoyable experience, but I know that the extra effort will be worthwhile when exam season rolls around.
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- …Above All Else
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Go to your classes, damnit! You or your parents are probably paying an astronomical sum for you to take these classes and it is a waste of money if you can’t even bother showing up to them. Granted, there are some circumstances (sick days, hangovers, etc.) that call for a day off from school, but you should always try to attend the majority of your lectures with a focused, prepared, and ready-to-learn mindset.
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Getting organized in college is not a linear process. Some days will be easier to focus more on academics than others, but do not give up! Be patient with yourself and the learning process that is college. Be sure to take time away from studying and check in with yourself. I believe in you!
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