It’s no secret that staying organized while going to college can be hard. You may be taking five or more classes, all with different due dates. Not to mention all the other events you don’t want to miss out on!
So how do you stay organized and remember it all? Planners can be great tools for keeping all of your goals, due dates, and events in one place. Here are 8 tips to get organized and started on using your planner more effectively.
1. Use a planner that is going to work for you. A planner should have an overview of the month to keep track of the most important events. There should also be a weekly agenda where you can write down what you need to accomplish for each day that week. An effective planner for you may also include a page for notes and space for a to-do list each week. We highly recommend this planner because it’s a good size to carry around in your bag and easy to have with you all the time.
2. Write down your goals. People who write their goals down are more likely to accomplish them! Start with what you want to accomplish in a year then work down to your smaller goals for a semester or month. Once you know what your goals are, you should write down the tasks you need to do to accomplish them.
3. Write down specific events that you want to attend. All of your important events for the semester and year should be in your planner. Any meetings, career festivals, or classes that you need to attend should go in your planner first. Then you can add social events and fun activities.
4. Write down important notes. These may be notes about an assignment that you are confused about or it could be something that you want to consider adding to your schedule for later. You may also want to use it as a place to write down important topics for class so you can use it to study for your exams later.
5. Use your syllabus for exam and paper deadlines. Some professors include deadlines and exam dates in the syllabus for their class. You can use this as a tool to plan ahead and make sure they’re in your planner. Then when you have an assignment due, you can give yourself plenty of time to complete it.
6. Color code your planner. Keep your planner organized by using different colors for different school subjects and keep a key at the front of your planner. For example, you can use red to signify that it is something important and another color to signify your social events.
7. Keep it fun! Don’t stress too much about your planner. Try to keep things simple and fun by using stickers and colors.
8. Use it often. Put in your activities and events regularly and as soon as they are planned so that you don’t plan for two things at one time. Make sure that you are looking at these events regularly so you don’t forget what’s coming up. Check your planner before you confirm plans with someone so you don’t double book yourself!
Planners can be a great way to stay organized through college. Keep these simple tips in mind as you continue to use your planner and you’ll be able to see how organized you’ve become!