If you’re anything like me, every year you tell yourself that this is the year you will finally get organized. The highlighters have been purchased, the Google Calendar app has been downloaded, but as the first week of classes comes to an end, so do all of your hopes and dreams of finally staying organized.
As hard as staying organized in college is, with a little self-discipline and a whole lot of color coordination it can be done! Here are five tips to help you stay organized and start the semester off right.
1.Ditch the Junk
Part of getting organized is getting rid of all of the stuff you don’t need anymore. This can mean anything from recycling old papers, putting textbooks you don’t use anymore into storage or even finally cleaning out those old gum wrappers from your backpack (yes, I know you have them). By ditching the junk and starting with a clean slate, staying organized is a whole lot easier.
2.Start Planning
Whether you like a physical planner or prefer everything to be on your phone, having some sort of agenda is essential when it comes to staying organized. Unless you’re a superhuman and can remember every single assignment and task you need to do in your head – get a planner. Don’t just write down school stuff either. Knowing when a test is coming up is important, but so are appointment dates, paydays, and due bills!
3.Color Code
This is where all of those pens and highlighters you bought comes in handy. Having a certain color associated with a class can help you stay on top of your work and be more aware of when assignments are due. For example, say anything related to your chemistry class you write in red. That way anytime you see red in your planner, you know by just a quick glance that you have some sort of chemistry work to do. You can even have a red notebook for that class too!
If you don’t want to take it quite that far, simply writing different tasks in different colors in your planner can be a huge help. In my case, school, work and Her Campus each have their own color. Just find what system works for you and have fun with it!
4. To-Do Lists are Your BFF
To-do lists can be such a lifesaver when it comes to organization. If you ever feel overwhelmed and like your brain is scattered all over the place – make a list! Start with the most daunting task and go from there. Write down everything that you want to accomplish, including the small things like laundry or cleaning your makeup brushes. Having a list to refer to can help your day be a lot more organized. Also crossing things off is ALWAYS satisfying.
5.Have a Location System
Having a specific location for everything is a huge part of staying organized when it comes to schoolwork. Knowing where to easily find things such as your notes and syllabi will make your semester go so much smoother. If you like to take your notes on the computer, try making a folder for each class. If you like to take notes by hand, have a designated notebook for each class so it’s easy to refer to when studying.
Forming these habits and staying organized can be hard, so if you slip up, don’t be hard on yourself! It happens to the best of us (and by the best of us I mean all of us). Even if you didn’t “start the semester off right,” it’s never too late to dust off the old planner and turn things around.
Here’s to an awesome and organized semester, Hokies!
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