Organizational Tips For Finals
1. Figure out why you want to be organized. Why are you motivated to stay on top of things? Plan out your short-term goals and make your own list of reasons why you ought to stay motivated.
2. After you wake up, make your bed, and clear up your working space. Having a clean area around you will keep the clutter out of your mind.
3. Schedule your boring daily chores around your assignments because they’re important, too. This can range anywhere from washing your hair to doing laundry. Plan out a day you can reserve for the laundromat in advance.
4. Separate your weeks in a timely manner. If you have something due next week, start this week so you can make some me-time in between. Scrap the “due tomorrow, do tomorrow” philosophy ASAP, it doesn’t work.
5. Do not, under any circumstances, doubt yourself. Take a look back at your motivation list and read your goals aloud to yourself. If you feel like you won’t get something done, you won’t get it done. Tell yourself to do the thing you think you can’t do.
6. Use tape to mark important pages in your class notebooks. Sticky notes use up a lot of space and can fold over and fall out. Tape is an attractive and clean way to tag your pages.
7. Don’t forget to eat! Though this might seem like a no-brainer, this is a common and destructive habit that develops on busy schedules. Studies show that once you don’t eat, your body reacts by slowing your metabolism which stores more body fat. Your mood changes with fatigue and irritability, which is no help for your productivity.
8. Take a walk and make a conscious effort to clear your mind of everything that is causing you stress. During that few minutes of walking, reflect on lighter, more exciting things. This will help you start fresh once you’re done.
9. Say no. Putting yourself first can be difficult, but pulling an all-nighter to turn something in on time is worse than turning it in late. Your health matters more than an assignment. The same can be said about staying up and drinking before a morning class.
10. Don’t put yourself down if you don’t master the art of organization at first. Feeling like you haven’t accomplished what you need to is normal, so start at the beginning and form your schedule around your closest due date.