For many, goals for the new semester includes staying organized and motivated. While in high school it might have been easier to just simply remember your homework and test dates, college brings on a different beast of trying to keep your school, work, and social together.
While organization can see like a large task and even somewhat time consuming, it does not have to be all that scary or complicated. Getting organized can be a worthwhile task that can help reduce a lot of the stresses that a new semester might come with, especially if you are a first-year student.
Here are a few different ways to get yourself prepared and ready to tackle all the obstacles that come this semester.
Traditional Planners/Agendas
From as early as elementary school, most students were exposed to the typical paper planner. As you grew older, the idea of writing down your schedules and assignments was stressed. However, it usually panned out be the typical writing the assignment on your hand or asking a friend the night before the due date.
While writing down assignments can be somewhat tedious and even sometimes easily forgettable, working that idea into your daily routine can show strong benefits. This way, instead of having to remember all the different papers and worksheets that need to be completed, it is all nicely organized in one place.
These can also be used to remember meetings, club events, doctors’ appointments and even your dog’s birthday. Whether it be a fancy and sparkly planner from stores such as Paper Source or your school’s provided planners, they can completely personalize to fit your everyday lifestyle. Brands like Ban.do have really nice planners that come with all sorts of nice features, such as stickers and even coloring pages! But for those who do not need all the glitz and glam, local bookstores should hold basic copies for a low cost.
Online Calendars
Phones, laptops, tablets and other technology are carried around campus daily by most students. Having one less thing to carry around in a backpack can be a real seller for some, being as these are available on any platform.
Google calendar, Momentum, iCal, and Sunrise calendar are all platforms that can integrate well into a persons’ life. In using these types of calendars as planners, you can insert all your tests, assignments, exams, appointments, meetings, and even syllabi. This is a very coinvent feature as it holds most things for classes all in one space, all on one device.
These tools are not only great for organizing, but great for keeping up with all the events going on throughout your semester. It can help you plan each day down to the hour, schedule breaks or lunch periods, and manage how long you spend doing homework.
Bullet Journals
For the more creative soul, a bullet journal is a great way to stay on top of schedules. As the most customizable of the three listed in this article, bullet journals basically consist of a completely self-made planner.
To break it down, the person obtains a blank journal and creates the calendar, table of contents, page spreads, to-do lists and some people even add note sections. While these DIY projects can be tricky at times, they are great ways to let of steam and unleash your inner creativity.
The best part of these projects is that they are really no guidelines and methods, it is completely up to the person as to what they want to create. From adding colors to stickers, to creating whatever is needed, this way is a satisfying method to stay organized.
I hope this helps you stay organized throughout the upcoming semester!