Saying you’re going to be organized for the new school year is easy. Actually doing it is the real challenge. Her Campus UNCW has compiled the best organizational tips out there to keep you on top of your game all year long!
1. Buy a planner and use it.
Never be blindsided by a test again! Write down your assignments and their due dates as soon as they’re assigned to you. For assignments that you’re given a long time for, place reminders throughout to ensure that you don’t end up doing three week’s worth of work in one week. It also helps to color-code your classes and different obligations.
2. Pack your bag the night before class.
Every night, pull out your handy dandy planner (see how this is all pulling together already?), and look at what you’ll need to take with you to campus the following day. Do you have an open book test? Don’t forget your textbook. Two-hour gap between classes? Don’t forget headphones for when you’re hanging out in the library. Packing your bag the night before also shaves real time off of your morning routine, meaning you’re getting more sleep. Win/win.
3. Make lists.
To-do lists, grocery lists, idea lists–list all the things! Put these lists in your planner. There’s actual science behind the satisfaction you get from checking something off of a to-do list, which gives you motivation to get more things done so you can check more off. List even the smallest things, like “leave for class on time.” Check it off. Feel accomplished before you even step foot in a classroom. Bam.
4. Get your beauty sleep.
Sleep is unimaginably important. By this time in your life, you’ve probably already figured out how many hours you need to feel amazing, how many you need to simply function, and how many to turn you into a total zombie. Find what works for you and stick with it. Your brain uses your sleepy time to heal itself and process everything from the day before, so make sure you’re taking care of yourself.
5. Make a playlist for your morning routine.
This hack changed. my. life. Figure out how long, exactly, you have to complete your morning routine. Then, find songs that are the length of time it takes you to complete each task in your routine. For example, if it takes you 4 minutes to pick an outfit (in a perfect world, right?). “Side to Side” by Ariana Grande and Niki Minaj is 3 minutes and 58 seconds long. Ideally, you’ll be finishing tasks and moving to the next ones as the songs change, and you won’t have to keep checking the clock.
6. Get up at the same time every day.
Our bodies crave routine. If you get up at 7 on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, but sleep until 12 on Tuesdays and Thursdays, your body is going to be really unhappy every other morning. It’s understandable if this doesn’t happen on the weekends, because there’s not even anything to do before 11:30 on a Saturday, but try to keep it consistent during the week. You’ll find it a lot easier to wake up at the same time every day, and you might even start waking up on your own just a few minutes before your alarm!
7. Clear your mind before bed–do a “brain dump” into a journal.
This is one of my favorite things to do, even though I’d die if anyone ever got their hands on the journal I do this with. If you find yourself unable to relax when it’s finally time for bed, do a brain dump. It’s exactly what it sounds like. Get a journal, a pen, and just write down EVERYTHING that comes through your head. Are you worried about something? Write down, “I am worried about….” Get it out of your head and onto paper, and promise yourself that you’ll deal with it in the morning.
All photos courtesy of photopin.com.