Going back to college is such an eventful time with so much to look forward to – learning new materials, making brand new friends, and living independently on your own without any parents around! But, with all that excitement comes some struggles as well, including all of the assignments and tasks you have to keep up with throughout the year (Mom isn’t around to remind you of what to do anymore!). So, with the knowledge of all of the hectic school that is about to hit you hard & fast, you may feel the need to get a little more organized. For some, organization is second nature, but to no surprise, most college students have real trouble with staying neat and tidy when it comes to school-related work. I’ve had my own hardships staying organized when I first started college, and I am still far from perfect, but there are a few tips and tricks that have helped me out throughout the years!
A new semester always means cute new stationery and notebooks! This is always my favorite part about starting classes again – so go out and buy notebooks that call to your creative side and connect with your personality! I know, you may still have some empty unused notebooks & papers from last year, but treat yo’ self! Hey, you could even donate the unused ones you have just laying around – if you don’t get excited about using them, then it’s time to invest in something new. I keep telling myself that the cuter the stationary/pens/printed pencils are, the more I will love doing my work and feel confident in what I’m doing. Nothing quite beats the feeling you get when you turn to the first clean crisp page in a new notebook; and, it’s even more exciting thinking about all of the new colorful pens you will use to take notes in it (hopefully making a monotonous, dry class a little more fun!).
Along with artsy notebooks, go out and get yourself a physical planner! They are honestly life savers, and after a few weeks of using one, you will feel totally lost without it (or if you lose it, it might be the end of your world and cause a panic attack – maybe that’s just me!). When you get your planner and syllabus from each class, sit down and write down when every assignment, midterm, final, project, important due date ASAP. This will help ensure that you have an easier time, and hopefully the stress won’t build up when you plan accordingly. My little trick is to actually pencil in that a project/assignment is due a couple of days before the ACTUAL due date – then, I get it done early AND there’s time to ask the professor any last minute disastrous questions!
Sometimes physical planners can be hard to constantly check, so choose the most important scheduled events/plans/due dates and put them on a visible to-do list in your room! You can use a chalkboard or corkboard or any fun canvases you may have laying around. When you have something like that hanging up in your room, you’re more inclined to update it and remember to follow through with the tasks! Speaking of bedrooms, I know waking up early for class and fumbling around trying to look presentable is tiring & time consuming, but try your best every morning to make your bed. Your room will automatically be 10x cleaner and will be nice and relaxing to come home to after a long day of classes. As they say, a clean room calls for a clear mind.
Now, I know paper organization is a bit old fashioned, so if you feel so inclined, turn towards electronic organization! Set up folders for your classes on your laptop, which will help you organize the endless amount of documents that will be thrown at you! Also, if you take notes remotely, placing your notes into these folders in some organized fashion will ensure everything is consistent and easy to access! If you don’t have your laptop in class, I know you have your phone (don’t try and hide it, we all are guilty of texting in class!). But, instead of texting or perusing snapchat, why don’t you download some helpful organizational apps? Below are some of the most recommended organizational apps for your typical struggling college student:
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Dropbox
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Snap2PDF
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inClass
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Clear
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Flipboard (my personal favorite)
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Go out and kill this semester in school! Stay on top of your organization & homework, and you will have such a successful year! Enjoy yourselves – college only comes around once.