Right around this time of year, panic begins to set in. Why? The school season is just around the corner! Whether this fills you with feelings of joy because you will finally have the house to yourself or dread because of your irrational fear of the 5th grade, no one feels less prepared to tackle school than those who are beginning their journey into the chaotic world of college. “What do I need? How will I manage my time? Do I actually possess the maturity to live on my own and make real-world decisions?” These are the questions that many new college students are continually asking themselves, and this is completely natural. College is not only a time for self-exploration and motivation but also a time of self-expression. That is why we have compiled a list on how to stay organized in college: Get A Productivity Planner In this high-tech world, we live in today, it may sound extremely unnecessary and perhaps even inconvenient to use a paper planner. However, writing everything down and being able to visualize a hard copy of a schedule is much easier to comprehend than a digital, less tangible planner. Productivity planners are available at any main superstore, and even online through websites like Amazon, which offers you the opportunity to pick from hundreds of options. Whether you are looking for one that gives you a weekly or monthly view, these planners come in multiple sizes and colors making it easy for you to not only stay organized but to also put your own personal flair on your planner! Print Out Your Syllabi When it comes to setting a semester-long academic plan for yourself, your syllabi have all of the information that you will need. Whether it is your assignments, quizzes, or midterms, you can be assured that all of these key dates and deadlines will be in the syllabi. Printing them all out and keeping them in a folder together is the best way to ensure your success as a student. Nothing is more terrifying than waking up to an untouched assignment due early that day. There isn’t an easier way to avoid this nightmare than to have all of your due dates and essential class information in the same safe location. We also recommend setting a calendar event to remind yourself of these assignments or exams with an alert to go off the week prior. Color Coding With a productivity planner handy, college will be twice as easy to keep track of. However, it does get a bit confusing when you have 20 different assignments for 5 different classes due each and every week. This is where color coding your planner will come in handy, and quite frankly could be a total lifesaver. There is no need to go overkill, as 6 different colored pens will do just fine. Being able to label your vast amount of class work with different colors allows you to increase both your time efficiency and productivity. Why spend 15 minutes trying to figure out what class your group project is for when you could have everything color coded and organized? Set Daily Goals & Determine Optimal Time Many college students are experiencing living on their own for the very first time. With great freedom, comes an even greater amount of responsibility. There isn’t a better way to stay on top of the game than to set personal goals every day. Not only will this give you a sense of direction, but it will also make it much easier to reserved parts of your day for schoolwork and play. On top of that, it is essential to determine what time you work the best. Whether you are a morning person or a night person, setting those boundaries in order for you to be the most productive and organized version of yourself is a sure way to ease the stresses of college. Form a Study Group Many college students try and take the world on by themselves, but everybody needs a little help sometimes. And what a better way to have assistance with school, than to have a study group of friends in all of your different classes. Everybody learns at a different speed so there is no shame in not understanding a certain concept or class, especially when it comes to GE classes that don’t necessarily apply to your major. Not only is this a productive learning strategy, but having fellow classmates frequently updating each other on due dates and study materials is the perfect way to boost your knowledge and keep organized. However, it is also necessary to keep in mind that these study groups are meant for studying, not a social hour. Our organization tips for college students can give you the confidence to begin your first year of college or give you additional help for the remainder of your schooling. Staying organized is key to success in college so take these additional steps to benefit from your courses and taking full advantage of a costly education. Your first year of college is one huge test of your time management skills, grasp of balance and overall motivation, so building upon these abilities will secure your achievement in the future.
