Some of the best things technology provides are apps and resources for organization. As a college kid with a loaded schedule, I’ve tried to use paper planners with cute design covers, but I always give up and have never filled one completely. Since my phone is almost always on me, I’ve found it very easy to commit to online organization. I’ve also found that using different platforms for different aspects of my life is an effective way of making my life feel under control, never missing a task or event.
Notion
This app has so many features rolled into one app and it’s entirely customizable. You can create spaces for all your different needs. There are features such as a to-do list, tables, and databases. Notion is also collaborative, which is great for work use or family use when it comes to calendars and task division. There are many free templates, ranging from work ones to personal ones, made by different Notion users that other users can make copies of for their own use. I use my notion space for a week-to-week checklist of my school work, as well as using the free templates for spending tracking. I also use it to house my workout schedule and my recipe list.
TimeTree
Even though this is just a calendar app, it has a variety of features, making it one of my favorites to use as opposed to Google Calendar or Calendar on iPhones. TimeTree allows you to have multiple calendars for different purposes, and you can view them all at once or separately. You can also invite people to your calendar to make it collaborative, and there’s a variety of color labels to use so that there is no confusion between types of events or people. I have three calendars: one with my friends so we know each other’s holiday breaks to plan days to hangout, one with my partner that I use to coordinate our personal and work schedules, and one that I use for all my schoolwork due dates, with specific color labels for each of my classes.
This app may not be thought of as one for organization and more creativity but I consider it very beneficial for visual organization. You can make boards, add photos to them, and even sort photos within a board into sections. Before moving to college, I made a board with photos of things to bring to college and inspiration for how I’d decorate my room. Pinterest is also a fun way to organize ideas when it comes to future planning, like a future home or places to travel. I also use the site to find ideas when it comes to cool hairstyles or ideas of things to crochet, like blankets and bags.