Anyone who knows me knows that I organize every aspect of my life. I have multiple to-do lists and calendars that allow me to keep track of my school assignments, extracurricular activities, and social life. I have always been like this, but now that I am in college, there is so much more to manage and organize. It took me a little while to figure out a good system that worked for me. In high school, I did most of my organizing on paper, utilizing a physical planner and whiteboard in my bedroom. Once I got to college, I quickly realized that it was more practical to organize on my computer, as I was studying at different spots each day. Now, as I am well into my fourth semester of college, I have figured out how to best organize my crazy college schedule, filled with school class assignments and newspaper article deadlines, as well as my class schedule and social calendar.
Organize deadlines: Google Sheets
Each semester, I make a Google sheet with a list of all of my assignments for the semester. Each class gets a designated color and I go through my syllabi, writing down class assignments, exams, readings, and essays and indicate the day they are due. Once I do that for each class, I can put them in order: I highlight what cells I want to put in order, then click Data, sort range, and then advanced sorting options. This brings you to a page where you can indicate which column you want to sort, in which I click the column that has the due dates. This puts all my assignments in order by the day they are due. In high school, I used a physical planner where I wrote all my due dates and assignments as I learned about them each day in class. But in college, it is very different, as a lot of classes put a whole semester’s worth of due dates on the syllabus at the beginning of the year and expect you to remember them. I found this really useful to keep track of all my assignments in one place.
To-Do lists: Sticky note app on computer
No matter what type of computer you use, most come with an app where you can write on colored sticky notes and place them on your desktop. This is where I make my daily and weekly to-do lists, as well as keep track of any reminders or notes I need to remember. I put these on the left side of my desktop, and place my browser tabs next to them, so I can see these sticky notes whenever I use my computer. At the beginning of each week, I look at my Google sheet with all the assignments and deadlines that I have to work on and organize what I should do each day onto the sticky notes. This allows me to break up what I should be working on each day, instead of getting overwhelmed by a massive chart of deadlines. Sometimes I copy my sticky notes on my computer into a physical paper list, especially around hectic academic times, such as finals week.
Where I have to be and when: Apple Calendar
In college, I am always going from one place to another, rarely staying in the same place for more than a couple of hours. I use the Apple calendar religiously to organize my classes, meetings, work schedules, and social plans. In the Apple calendar, you can color coordinate as well. I designate one color to my class schedule, one for social life, one for extracurriculars, one for my work schedule, and one for miscellaneous. Each day I eat lunch with a different person at a different time, attend a variety of meetings, or schedule interviews for articles — it can be a lot to keep track of. So, yes I do quite literally plan every hour of my day, to make sure I know where I have to be at what time. This also allows me to easily block in my free time and fit in mundane tasks such as doing laundry.
“organizing is a journey, not a destination”
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Once I got to college, I transitioned into organizing and planning online, which was something I never did before. I still enjoy writing things out on my desk board in my dorm room, even though I am rarely there throughout the day. However, since I still enjoy planning and organizing, I often write down any weekly meetings and larger commitments I have on my whiteboard in my dorm room, as an extra step of organization. I still have a physical monthly calendar in my dorm room that I fill out each month with larger events. If it wasn’t for these steps, I don’t think I would be able to handle my extremely busy college schedule and keep myself sane.
I will be the first to say, I love organizing and I always have. For those who need a step into how to become more organized, here are my beginner tips.
- Separate your physical time commitments (where you have to be and when) from assignments, test dates, and deadlines.
It can be hard to remember things if you put everything in one place. Having a separate place where you can find your class assignments will help you stay focused and organized. Put the due dates in one place and the calendar events in another.
- Take one day at the beginning of the week to plan.
I do this every Sunday and it is a lifesaver. Making to-do lists each day, skimming through the syllabus to find due dates, or planning out your day on the same day can be overwhelming. I used to make different to-do lists every day, and this took up a lot of my time when I could have been studying or doing homework — even though I always used it as a reason to procrastinate. If you dedicate one day to planning and organizing your social plans, classes, and deadlines, it will make you feel more organized and focused as you go about your week.
- Use colors!
I think it is a great way to physically divide your classes and types of commitments visually. Not only does it look appealing, it allows your eyes to focus and subdivide each class or time commitment in your head.
- Everyone organizes differently — figure out what works for you.
I will be the first to admit that my organization is a bit excessive, and you definitely do not need all of these strategies to be organized. If you want to begin your organized era, start small — buy a planner or download a to-do list app. There are plenty of apps out there that help you organize, such as Todoist, that can be beneficial tools. Try to experiment with different styles of organizing; on paper or on the computer, to-do list formats or planners, weekly or monthly calendars. It may take a little time to figure out what works best for you, and that is ok!
These helpful tips that I have picked up through the years have helped me organize my life. I always find ways to make organizing fun, whether that be using colored highlighters and pens or cute aesthetic planners. It makes me more motivated to do what’s on my to-do list. These strategies have helped me and hopefully will help you or give you some ideas on how to organize your life.