Becoming and staying organized is probably one of the hardest things to do while in college. It is also one of the most important things students can do as it can significantly affect their studies, free time, and life overall. However, many students either don’t know how to do it, where to start and how to keep things organized for a longer period of time. And it’s understandable; with all the studying, exams, assignments, papers and essays, students simply don’t have the time to organize their time. Sure, some of us use additional help, through the assignment writing service, courses, personal mentoring, etc. However, many believe that students are simply set for failure when it comes to organization and planning out their daily routine.
But, what if I told you there are ways, tips, and tricks you can use to stay organized in college and have your days planned out to the minute. This may sound shocking to many of you, but the organization is all about finding the right rhythm of your day and life. Organization and planning have the purpose of keeping you happy, stress-free and content with your day-to-day successes an wins. Therefore, we’ve decided to help our fellow students out and gathered a list of tips and tricks you can follow to organize and plan out your college life.
Having the Right Attitude
Unless you are really motivated to get your life together and tackle all the mess, chances are you won’t be as successful in staying organized and planning, as you might wish for. Organization and planning required determination and strong motivation, because, in the beginning, it is really hard to follow all the rules and restriction you’ve set for yourself. Maybe you will actually be excited about the idea of finally cleaning the mess in your life, but with the first little inconvenience, you will surely get sloppy about it.
So, if you want to make a clean start into the journey of getting your life together, make sure to do it with a 100% certainty. One thing that can help you in doing that is creating a list of the reasons you want to manage your life and why you want to keep everything planned out and organized. This will give you an overview of all the valid reasons and hopefully provide you with the motivation to go through with it.
Using A Planner
I never thought I would say this, but having a planner during my college years has saved me so much unnecessary stress. Before actually using a planner, I really thought those are the things people on Pinterest and Tumblr use to make themselves seem fancier and more interesting. Turned out, buying a planner and writing down things I have to do made me actually do those things. A planner has helped me keep track of all the classes I have, exams, assignments, due-to papers and essays, and much more.
Studies have shown that people who use planners are more productive, and in the long run, more efficient and successful in achieving their goals on a daily basis. Having a planner has also made them happier, less stressed and in control of the things they’re doing, or not doing. So, make sure to get yourself a cute little planner to stay focused, organized and optimistic for all the challenges college might bring your way.
Tools for Planning and Organization
If you’re not a big fan of planners and having to carry them around in your bag, then you can always try out some of the numerous tools that can help out. For starters, you can use your phone’s Calendar to plan things out in advance, or planning and organizing apps on your phones and tablets.
The App Store and the Google Store offer a variety of organizing apps you can choose from, like; Google Keep, Trello, Evernote, myHomework, SimpleMind+, Quizlet, etc. There are also numerous distraction-blocking apps for when you’re studying or working on your assignments, like Stay Focused, Anti-Social, SelfControl, and Focus-Writer, just to name few. Make sure to take advantage of our current technology in order to keep your life mess and stress-free.
Filing System for Your Class Material
As part of the organization and planning things out, it is essential to have your physical space organized as well. For example, you should start by cleaning your room, or by creating a filing system for your class material. Here are a few additional tips on how to succeed in that:
Have a designated study space and time; this will help you reinforce the whole planning out thing as well as your management and organization skills.
Declutter your studying space; this will help you work in a distraction-free zone, meaning, you’ll be more focused on the task in front of you rather than on random things on your table or your phone.
Create a folder for each of your class where you’ll store the necessary material; it will help you stay organized, not to mention, you won’t mix your materials from different classes. Make sure to place these folders somewhere in sight, like a bookshelf or dresser in the order of the classes during the week.
Label and separate your materials; you can use different-colored labels and stickers to mark the material for each subject; for those who are somewhat forgetful, this will be a great way of keeping track of material
Prepare in advance; make sure to prepare for the following day the night before; prepare all the necessary material, write down in your planner what needs to be done and even, what you should wear or eat the following day. This will save you time in the morning and allow you to start your day stress-free and ready for new challenges.
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