As hard as you might try to fend it off, there’s virtually no way to avoid the hectic chaos of college or university once papers and exams start piling up. That said, you can certainly eliminate at least some of the stress by staying as organized as possible in your day to day life at school.
If organization isn’t already you’re forte, we’ve got some simple tips to help change that.
Use a Day Planner
No matter how great of a memory you might have, you can benefit from a day planner. Bring it to every class, and write down every assignment you’re given along with its due-date.
Schedule pre-determined time slots for homework and studying, recreation, and your part-time job (if applicable). This way, you’ll never have to ask yourself “how am I going to squeeze this into my schedule?” without immediately having an answer.
Organize Your Notes
There are few things more stressful than being told about an exam next week, only to discover you can’t find the last months’ worth of notes. Whether you write your notes by hand or type them on your laptop, keep them in labelled files and in chronological order to ensure that your studying materials are there when you need them.
Clean
Clean your room, clean you desk, clean your backpack, and clean your computer folders. It’s easy to let old assignments, notes, and study snacks build up but mess is the biggest enemy of success. Keeping things clean is the easiest way to stay organized and maintain a study-friendly environment. Plus, you won’t have to worry about sifting through stacks of papers to find that assignment that’s due in fifteen minutes.
Make to-do Lists
Before heading to class every day, make a to-do list. Include everywhere you need to be, everything you need to get done, and everything you’d like to do in between (even the fun stuff)! Not only will this help you to keep track of everything on your agenda, but you’ll also feel a tangible sense of accomplishment as you cross each task off your list.
Don’t Procrastinate
Intangible clutter is one of the biggest threats to productivity of all. Don’t let assignments and tasks build up under the internal promise that “you’ll do them later”. Eventually all your deadlines will come around at the same time, and you won’t know where to start. Stop leaving homework and studying until the last minute, and we promise that you’ll be shocked at just how organized your schedule, and more importantly, your mind is.
