I often hear fellow classmates mumble, “Wow, was that paper due today?” or “Is that test today? I completely forgot to study.” During my first year of college, I made those mistakes too and fell victim to the hectic life of a college student. Needless to say, I’ve always regretted it. It affected my productivity, GPA, and increased my school anxiety. I realized becoming more organized would be beneficial for the rest of my life, even outside of college. Once I found the right tools for me, I never looked back. Here are four organizing habits I developed through my college experience.
Planning Ahead
The best thing I ever did my sophomore year of college was buying a planner. At the beginning of every semester, I go through all of the syllabi I receive and write down important dates. I write down when papers are due, exam days, and canceled classes. Then, when you are flipping through to schedule other activities, nothing will interfere with your already scheduled school responsibilities. Another easy way to plan ahead is to think about what you must do tomorrow before going to sleep. The night before, plan your activities so you don’t forget anything important. The planner I use is from Erin Condren – I love it and the best part is you can customize something for yourself!
Prioritize Important Tasks
To-Do lists are another way to stay organized – but a way to kick it up a notch is to first prioritize important tasks. If you have a term paper due in two days and an exam in five days, tackle the term paper first because the due date is sooner. Even though this may seem obvious, it’s sometimes difficult to prioritize well. If you have a test coming up this week, it would be best to schedule that dentist appointment for the week after. Another great prioritization tool is to bump the most difficult tasks to the top of your list for the day. A clear sense of what is important helps you accomplish more tasks – so prioritize, prioritize, prioritize.
Set Reminders
Even when you write everything down in your planner, it’s easy to forget to check it often enough. Set reminders and alarms on your phone to help you accomplish tasks by their deadlines. You can even set them for the beginning of the day, so you can spend the entire day working on your tasks. Setting reminders on your phone will help you remember to-dos anywhere you go.
Have a Routine
Highly organized people function with routines. There are certain times for accomplishing key tasks such as answering e-mails or doing laundry. It will take a few weeks to fully form a new habit, so find out what works for you and stick with it. If Saturday is your best laundry day, then stay with doing laundry on Saturdays. If Tuesdays are your easiest day off, stick with it. It’s almost like having a set work schedule, but for your life. Having a routine will keep you organized and on track with your tasks.
Becoming a more organized person will help you meet all of your deadlines with ease and also help you remember all of your tasks. Use these tips to get started!