Every semester, I try to make a plan to stay on top of my studies and to keep my grades up. Every semester, I forget about that system, and wish I would have once finals come around. I've gradually become more and more organized, but here is the plan I hope to follow this upcoming semester:
1. Keep up with your planner.
This one isn't hard for me, because I live off of my planner. I'm obsessed with it. So, some tips:
Pick out one you like. You can buy a cheap one from Target (just as effective), or order one online (Lilly Pulitzer, Erin Condren, MayBooks, etcetera). I have a Moleskin planner and I'm in love with it. The left side has a box for each day of the week and the right side has blank lines for notes. To keep up with my planner, I write down due dates as soon as I get my syllabus for each class, and everything is color-coded. From assignments, to quizzes, to tests, to appointments, to sorority events; everything has its own color. It leads my eye to what is more important for the day.
2. Prioritize and try to get things done ASAP.
I'm pretty nerdy when it comes to school, but I love to go to events, games, and Thursday night festivities. Basically, I plan my schedule so that my Mondays and Fridays aren't busy. Tuesday through Thursday may not be the most fun, but at least I know I won't be busy Thursday through Sunday, typically. So that I'm not crunching last minute for Friday or Monday projects, tests, and assignments, I try to get everything done midweek, when not much is going on. My planner really helps me prioritize and see what I have coming up. If I know I have a busy week, my Sundays are pretty much spent at the library.
3. Go to class.
This is my toughest one, because I LOVE my sleep. Morning classes are the worst. I find that if I actually wake up to my first alarm, have some water and a quick breakfast, I'm normally good to go until my last class. It's the days that I roll right out of bed to my class that I'm miserable. I always regret not going to class; it's so much wasted money. Maybe something super exciting will happen on campus, maybe not. You never know.
4. Clean before you study.
This may only apply to me, because I am ridiculously well-organized, but if I have a lot of work or a big test, I cannot study effectively if my house or room is messy. I always clean up around me before studying and feel so much better. If you don't have time for that, just go to the library.
5. Try to register for classes with your friends.
Some people may disagree with this, but I find that when I have friends in my classes, it's so much easier to keep up. If I miss a day, I can text them for the notes or assignments. If we have a test coming up, I'm not hesitant to ask them to study with me. Yeah, you can get distracted, but you won't become bored while studying if you're with a friend.
6. TAKE YOUR NOTES ON YOUR COMPUTER.
Every year, I try to begin by handwriting my notes (back to the organization thing--I like keeping good, handwritten notes), and then I realize I cannot keep up with my professor and my notes become messy and illegible. I've found that taking notes on the computer works best. I use the Word Notebook Layout on Microsoft Word, because you can create a new tab for each day or topic. Therefore, you only need one document per class. Then, whenever I make study guides for my tests, I can either rewrite or retype the important information.
Like I said, I do this practically every semester. But with such an easy list as this one, I hope I (and you!) can keep up with it. Good luck!
