Welcome back to school, Cougars! It is now almost a month into the semester, which is the time where it seems like everything is starting to pick back up and get busy again. From meetings, events, dinners with friends, tests, homework assignments, and projects; it can be a lot to keep track of. And if you are anything like me, I cannot physically remember everything without writing it down but continue slacking off in keeping up with my planner at this point in the semester—already, I know! However, these are the best organizing tips that help me to not miss that important deadline or meeting!
- Write Due Dates In an Online Planner
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Usually, I am the biggest advocate for the classic handwritten planner. However, lately, I have found that personally, I get to a point where I end up not writing in it anymore—which is seriously not an option as I have too much to keep track of! And this is where my hero, Josie Light, popped onto my FYP and saved my life this semester with this online template. Guys, if you aren’t using this, you are missing out! This template is extremely easy to use and is essentially like an Excel spreadsheet, but better. I have all of my due dates for any assignment, test, quiz, etc in each class for the entire semester laid out all in one place so I do not have to keep writing down what is due every day. The moral of the story is, if you have trouble keeping up with your planner, I suggest you take the time to type in your due dates—it seems tedious, but it’s so worth it in the end—and use this online template because it has seriously saved me this semester.
- Get A Whiteboard Calendar
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To keep track of everything I have to do throughout the week that is not school work, my roommate and I have a whiteboard calendar hung up in our kitchen. We write down meetings, work schedules, rehearsal schedules for our dance classes, mandatory beach days, birthdays, and literally everything else that we have planned during the week. This allows us to physically see what our week has planned for us every time we go in the kitchen so we can hold each other accountable and not miss anything that we have scheduled!
- Stick to A routine
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This may seem pretty obvious, but sticking to a routine is the best way to get yourself back on track and organized. The most reliable way to do this is to have set days for certain tasks that need to be completed, such as Friday afternoon is laundry day, or weekly grocery shopping is on Sundays. Having set times and days to do essential tasks will allow you to make the time in your week to be productive and get yourself organized!
- Don’t Procrastinate
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If you get anything out of this article, it should be this: don’t procrastinate!! Trust me, I am a victim of procrastination and I often find myself rushing to complete homework assignments and tasks at the very last minute. Yet, to stay organized, it is essential to avoid saying, “Oh, I’ll just do this later.” Staying on top of responsibilities will allow you to not only be productive, but it will also allow you to have extra time to explore all that Charleston has to offer rather than catching up on late assignments. So, the next time you find yourself debating whether you should wait or complete your assignment now, do the latter because trust me, you will thank yourself later!
If you follow at least one of these tips—and stick with it—I promise you that you’ll be organized and on top of all of your responsibilities throughout the rest of the semester!