Top Five Tips to Stay Organised for the Academic Year
With the first few weeks of the academic year already behind us, assignment deadlines are creeping up faster than I can even fathom! So, I’m going to share my top five tips to stay organised during the academic year. In the past, implementing these strategies has helped me not get as stressed and overwhelmed (hopefully, they can do the same for you!).
Number One: Plan
Plan your days and weeks! It doesn’t matter what you use, be it a physical diary, an app or even your calendar on your phone; the mere act of planning how you will use your time will help you stay so much more organised. Knowing when you have an event to go to and knowing when an assignment is due ensures that you don’t miss anything important. Figure out a routine that works best for you, do you work better in the morning or the evening? Can you focus for long periods or do you need lots of short breaks? Where do you focus best, in the bedroom, kitchen, library? These are all important things to factor in prior to completing your plan. Remember that just because something works for someone else, does not mean that it is the best approach for you!
Number Two: To-Do Lists
Write to-do lists!! Put everything you need to get done in a day on a piece of paper, allocating time slots for each as you go. It can be cathartic to hand write these lists as you get the satisfaction of striking off tasks you have completed. For most people, to-do lists help them visualise how much they have to do a given day, making them less likely to forget a task because it’s not just swirling around their brain. Â
Number Three:Â Divide and conquer
Break down your large assignments into smaller assignments. It becomes less overwhelming and allows you to manage your time better and be prepared. Then you won’t have to cram to do your research the night before the assignment is due! You can even assign yourself deadlines for each of the smaller assignments, so keep yourself accountable.
Number Four: Manage your environment
Clean space equals a clean mind! Clean your room or your desk before you start working. It will help you stay focused and it will also help reduce your mental load because you are not being overwhelmed by clutter. Whether you work best in your room, in the library, in a cafe or anywhere else, having your space organised, even if its just your class materials, it will help so much more than you would think!
Number Five: Attitude adjustmentÂ
Last, but certainly not least – romanticise your schoolwork and make it as fun as possible! Study with your friends, go to your favourite cafe or make your favourite drink to sip on while working, or eat your favourite snack. You could even light a candle or put your favourite music on – anything to alleviate the stress of studying. Romanticising your schoolwork can make you even look forward to studying because you get to do your favourite things while studying!!
I hope these tips can help you this year, and remember to also have some balance between college/work and your social life. Giving yourself a little time off every day to not think about college will help so much in the long run. We got this!!