How to stay organized

Learning how to stay organized in college is definitely an adjustment and something that took me a while to figure out. The difference between assignments and homework in high school compared to college is tremendous and learning how to juggle all of it can be difficult. Through the years I have been able to figure out what works best for me to stay organized and on top of my schoolwork.

My number one tip is to buy a planner!! Writing all your assignments down in a planner allows you to stay ahead of your work, while also being able to know when you have time for yourself. I know planners are not for everyone but having a good planner has saved my life (and my grades). Both paper and electronic planners work but I find that actually using pen and paper is more effective for me.

Making sure that you keep your planner up to date when new assignments are assigned is very important, so you don’t miss anything and fall behind. I know some people write down all of their assignments in a planner at the beginning of the semester when they receive their syllabus, but this is something I stay away from doing. I find that my classes usually fall behind schedule a little and I would end up having to adjust all my assignments, so I just update my planner each class when something new is assigned. Planning your school schedule in a planner allows you to know exactly what you have to do for that day, school-wise, and also lets you see what free time you have.

Making daily to-do lists is also extremely beneficial to staying organized. A planner is ideal for looking at what is due for the entire week/month, but daily to-do lists are great to make in the morning, so you know what you have to accomplish for that day. Each morning I look at my planner to see what I need to do for the day and then take one of my to-do list sticky notes and write down everything I need to finish or submit. I also keep an electronic to-do list on the home screen of my computer for anything urgent I need to do for the day. I am always on my computer so having the reminder on my home screen is very helpful.

Setting reminders on your phone can also be beneficial to keep you organized. If you have something really important that you can’t forget to do for that day, set a reminder! For example, I do this often when I have to print something for a class. We’re always on our phones anyway so doing this will help with forgetfulness.

If you’re having trouble remembering your class schedule something that you could do that I did at the beginning of freshman year is set your phone background with your schedule. This way every time you look at your phone you know your class schedule and don’t accidentally miss a class.

Everyone prefers their own organizational methods so I advise you to give all of these methods a try to see what works best for you!