I’m in a long-term relationship with my [Lilly Pulitzer] agenda. However, that hasn’t always been the case. For the entirety of my academic career I have always had more than just homework, as I know most of you fabulous Collegiettes have, but it wasn’t until I came to Behrend that I learned the beauty of color coding and other time management tips and tricks.
My first two years of college were spent at Clarion University and for the first time ever I really did only have classes to attend, naps to take, and more Netflix binges than any normal person should. My life was boring and so was my planner, everything was black and white and pink all over. It wasn’t until I transferred here last year and got involved on campus that I realized just how vital it was for me to be so anal about my schedule that it bordered on being unhealthy.
The first thing I did after accepting my sorority bid was run to Target and buy an even larger pack of colored pens so that I could organize my life to the best of my ability. Since that day almost a year ago, I have taken on even more than I ever have and the color code in the front of my planner has gotten longer (I also ran out of colors to choose from and started using different ink styles.) Although my schedule is incredibly hectic and I’m awake more than a healthy, functioning person should be, I make it to all of the important things and rarely double book myself… I’m no Hermione Granger, I have no time turner.
That being said, I feel that I am a good candidate to share with all of you lovely readers the different tricks and tips I have learned and utilized so that you too can have a successful semester.
1.Color code your planner. By color coding your planner you’re able to better prioritize your life and for some people it helps them to not be as overwhelmed.
2.Buy a planner. It’s hard to color code without a planner, but color coding is my favorite and is number one in my heart (other than Chipotle) and therefore is number one on this list. Personally, I have spent over $130 on planners in the last four years and I regret nothing.
3.USE THE CALENDAR IN YOUR PHONE. It is Steve Jobs’ gift to man. It figures out travel time, it alerts you up to a day in advance before an event, AND it also lets you color code! And it fits perfectly in your pocket (or in your hand… who actually puts their phone down anymore anyways?) so you really have no excuse.
4.Put the month view of your planner to good use. It’s nice to glance at it and have an idea of what is going on (this is even more useful if you’re color coding).
5.Write reminders to yourself on surfaces that you look at often. I keep an erasable marker next to the mirror that I do my makeup in so that I don’t forget things I need to bring/do (but leave a space to see your face so you can tell yourself how beautiful you are).
6.Make a daily schedule so that you can plan your day down to the hour, this allows you to know when you have extra time to study, hang out with your friends, and on those truly busy days… eat!
Whether you like to wing it every day and hope for the best or you’re already a pro at organizing your schedule and managing your time (are you human?) and drinking all 8000 glasses of water you’re supposed to in a day and take your vitamins and work out at least three times a week (you’re already better than me if you do any of that) I hope this was helpful to you. If I inspired you to get organized or inspired you enough to Pin this post for future reference, then I have achieved my goal. Happy planning! HCXO
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