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Handling Stress in College: Getting Organized

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Gettysburg chapter.

It’s that time of the semester. Planners have been forgotten about, papers are everywhere, and any hope of having control over your live is down the drain. Now that work is piling up, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and constantly struggling to stay on top of things. Below are three ways to get, and stay, organized in school.

1. Write Things Down

Seriously. You are not going to remember the page numbers for the reading, or the time for your club meeting so find somewhere to write it all down. This could be a planner, a blank notebook, or a calendar online. Cute planners from target might not work for everyone, and that’s okay. Personally, I use Google Calendar for all events and classes because it syncs between my phone and laptop. For school work, I keep it written down in a planner.

Image via Kikki.K

2. Create a Spot For Miscellaneous

Most students have folders for each class, and that’s a great way to stay organized, but it’s also good to have a ‘junk’ folder of sorts to put all your handouts, flyers, and business cards that you aren’t comfortable with throwing away. This keeps your desk from getting cluttered and also makes finding these random papers much easier.

3. Make a To-Do List

To-do lists are amazing. It’s a great way to organize your thoughts and ensure that you don’t miss anything important. The benefit of lists is that anything can go on there and you feel super accomplished when you check it off. Took out your trash? Check! Outlined your English essay? Check! This is especially helps with organizing study sessions during finals!

Image via Betakit 

4. Work Ahead

Working ahead in your classes doesn’t sound like a lot of fun, and to be honest, it really isn’t. However, staying even the tiniest bit ahead in school allows you to feel less overwhelmed and more in control. A great way to do this is to buckle down over the weekends so that you have less work to do during the week.

Adrienne Poissant

Gettysburg '22

Adrienne is a senior at Gettysburg College studying political science and religious studies. Besides being a Campus Correspondent, she is involved in the wind symphony, Model United Nations, and enjoys reading and writing for fun!