Now that winter break has ended, students return to school for the spring semester. Some students, like myself, start school online before returning to campus for in-person classes, and others are already back on campus. Whether you are online or in-person, I am sure that returning from break can be stressful, especially if you have fallen out of your regular school routine. To make this semester less stressful for you and other students, I have decided to lay out some tips to help you stay organized and productive throughout the new semester.
My first tip on staying organized is to make sure you have an agenda, whether it’s a physical agenda you brought from Target or a digital agenda on Notion. I use both every day to write down my daily schedule, assignments, to-do lists and reminders. I recommend that you try out both to figure out what works best for you and make sure to look at your agenda daily so that you do not miss assignments or other important information. If you decide that a digital agenda works best for you, there are plenty of free Notion templates on YouTube or Pinterest that you can explore.
My next tip would be to have school supplies or stationery for taking notes during class. Every college student should have pens, highlighters, a stapler, notebooks and folders for their classes. There are lots of stationery stores in New York City that have cute supplies for all of your academic needs. My personal favorite is Nico Neco Zakkaya, located in the East Village. They have lots of adorable highlighters and pens for taking notes, so go check them out! You can also take notes digitally on your computer if you prefer, but some professors may have a strict no-device policy, so keep that in mind when deciding how to take notes. If you are allowed to take notes on your device during classes, I recommend having a folder on your device for each class or a master document for your class notes. Speaking of devices, I like to have folders on my laptop for each of my classes where I can place all the readings or assignments from class as well as the syllabus. This system allows me to locate readings and materials easily whenever I need to study and complete assignments.
My last tip for staying organized would be to develop a routine for yourself. Start by setting alarms on your phone for when you need to wake up and when you need to go to class. Then develop a morning and nighttime routine to help you wake up refreshed and to help you relax before you go to sleep. Lastly, you should set aside time every day for schoolwork or studying. For some, that time may be in the morning, and for others like myself, that time may be in the evenings. Figure out when you feel most productive or energized and complete assignments during that time.
That is all of my organization tips for the spring semester. I hope you found them helpful, and I hope you have a wonderful semester! Remember to take breaks from studying every now and then, and keep up the excellent work. You got this!