Best Ways To Stay Organized At College | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Student Life

5 Ways To Stay Organized This Fall Semester

We all confuse days, but here's how to confuse them less.

79
www.pexels.com
Pexels

In This Article:

It's the first time your day doesn't start at 7:00 A.M. and end at 3:00 P.M. Your schedule is different every single day, and you have more free time than ever. It's easy to get your days confused, forget to complete assignments, and forget everything you were ever taught about self-care.

Here are five ways to keep both your academic and social life on track this fall semester.

1. Invest in a planner.

We all had planners in high school. Whether they were given to you by the school, or you purchased your own, you most likely had one. The other side of the story is that you probably didn't use your planner in high school. A lot of the time, you didn't need to use it.

Homework could be done during lunch or during other classes that whatever was left, you just remembered to do it. Unfortunately, the same can't be said for college. With a different schedule every day, it's easy to lose track of time.

Get a planner. Plan out your weeks and months, and add in test dates and paper deadlines. Cross them off so you actually know that you finished the task at hand.

2. Hang a calendar in your room.

There are going to be times where you can't remember what day it is. It's totally possible that you could end up walking in on the wrong class because you got the days mixed up.

Keep a calendar in your dorm of what classes are what days and what events are going on during the month. It's a great time saver to glance at it before you leave your room for the wrong class.

3. Post-It notes are your best friend.

Have a meeting with your advisor? Are you paranoid that you'll forget it? Write yourself a Post-It note and stick it somewhere obvious that you'll see. Stick them on the coffee cup you know you're going to use the next morning. Or on the mirror, you'll fix your hair in before heading out for the day.

Post-Its are perfect for little reminders. They're also great for times where you need to be passive aggressive to your roommate.

4. To-do list all the obscure tasks.

There's nothing more satisfying than crossing off items on a to-do list. I leave a small notepad on my desk where I'll write my homework, projects, errands, chores, or anything that I know I want to accomplish.

Keep a pad or notebook around to write down all the obscure things you need to get done and get ready to feel the satisfaction of crossing every item off.

5. Don't forget about yourself; make a daily checklist.

It's college. Regardless of whether you live on-campus or you commute, it's a different life than high school. Your schedule changes every day, and it's easy to get distracted and forget to take care of yourself. Especially for the students living on-campus, it's the first time you've been without your parents reminding you to wash your face or eat dinner.

Create a daily checklist of just self-care. Remind yourself to wash your face, take your vitamins, and drink some water. Don't be the kid that's always sick because they don't know how to function.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Featured

12 Midnight NYE: Fun Ideas!

This isn't just for the single Pringles out there either, folks

14642
Friends celebrating the New Years!
StableDiffusion

When the clock strikes twelve midnight on New Year's Eve, do you ever find yourself lost regarding what to do during that big moment? It's a very important moment. It is the first moment of the New Year, doesn't it seem like you should be doing something grand, something meaningful, something spontaneous? Sure, many decide to spend the moment on the lips of another, but what good is that? Take a look at these other suggestions on how to ring in the New Year that are much more spectacular and exciting than a simple little kiss.

Keep Reading...Show less
piano
Digital Trends

I am very serious about the Christmas season. It's one of my favorite things, and I love it all from gift-giving to baking to the decorations, but I especially love Christmas music. Here are 11 songs you should consider adding to your Christmas playlists.

Keep Reading...Show less
campus
CampusExplorer

New year, new semester, not the same old thing. This semester will be a semester to redeem all the mistakes made in the previous five months.

1. I will wake up (sorta) on time for class.

Let's face it, last semester you woke up with enough time to brush your teeth and get to class and even then you were about 10 minutes late and rollin' in with some pretty unfortunate bed head. This semester we will set our alarms, wake up with time to get ready, and get to class on time!

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

The 5 Painfully True Stages Of Camping Out At The Library

For those long nights that turn into mornings when the struggle is real.

2938
woman reading a book while sitting on black leather 3-seat couch
Photo by Seven Shooter on Unsplash

And so it begins.

1. Walk in motivated and ready to rock

Camping out at the library is not for the faint of heart. You need to go in as a warrior. You usually have brought supplies (laptop, chargers, and textbooks) and sustenance (water, snacks, and blanket/sweatpants) since the battle will be for an undetermined length of time. Perhaps it is one assignment or perhaps it's four. You are motivated and prepared; you don’t doubt the assignment(s) will take time, but you know it couldn’t be that long.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

The 14 Stages Of The Last Week Of Class

You need sleep, but also have 13 things due in the span of 4 days.

1764
black marker on notebook

December... it's full of finals, due dates, Mariah Carey, and the holidays. It's the worst time of the year, but the best because after finals, you get to not think about classes for a month and catch up on all the sleep you lost throughout the semester. But what's worse than finals week is the last week of classes, when all the due dates you've put off can no longer be put off anymore.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments