We’re already two weeks into the start of the new school year, and the assignments and deadlines are piling up. While I may not always enjoy the seemingly endless amount of homework, the one thing that makes it slightly more bearable is being able to take out my favourite coloured pens and scribble everything down in my planner.
My favourite part of every school year was going school supply shopping and picking out my planner and the pretty pens to go with it. Planning isn’t everyone’s strength though, and university can get overwhelming quickly. These tips will be sure to help you manage your time and turn you into a great planner.
1. Determine what works best for you.
I’m definitely a pen and paper kind of gal, but there are so many other options out there when it comes to being an effective planner. Maybe using reminders or the calendar on your computer works better for you. Do you remember things better when you’re forced to write them down? You won’t know until you try it.
You can then look more specifically at your options once you’ve figured out what works best for you. I enjoy being very detailed when I plan by creating overall to-do lists for school, work, and my personal life, but I also like writing down what I will be working on for each hour of the day. I was disappointed with a lot of the planners in stores because most of them didn’t have enough space for me. Some were only weekly, others only daily, and some were super thick (my backpack is heavy enough, thank you very much). Surely there was a planner out there that had everything I needed, and I was determined to find it. After a quick google search, I found the Passion Planner, which was created by Angelia Trinidad in a state of post-college uncertainty. I absolutely love it, and she even posts planning tips on her website. There are lots of other great planners out there too! If using technology is more your style, then you can check out lots of great planning apps to help you keep track of your to-do lists.
If you can’t decide on just one method, use a combination. There isn’t just one “right” way to plan. I enjoy using my planner, but sometimes I also need to set reminders with alerts on my computer to really make sure I don’t miss anything.
2. Make a list and prioritize.
Make a list of all the things you need to do because getting everything in one place makes it less likely that you’ll forget something. Next, figure out deadlines and decide which tasks are more important so that you can determine which ones you need to tackle first. One of the biggest pieces of advice I can give when working towards a deadline is to make a note of which tasks require you to rely on other people, and take care of those right away. For example, when you need a reference letter or need to send something in the mail by a certain date, don’t wait until the last minute because you don’t know how busy other people’s schedules are. It’s important to anticipate potential issues when prioritizing your to-do list.
3. “Pencil it in.”
We can plan ahead all we want, but life doesn’t always care about your plan. You can plan to meet with friends at a certain time, but maybe they’ll have to cancel at the last minute. You can plan to work on assignments until 5pm, but maybe it takes you a little longer than you thought it would. Leave room for flexibility in your schedule and don’t let it ruin your day when things don’t go according to plan.
4. Plan ahead.
Take the time to think about your life five years from now, or your life ten years from now. It’s important to live in the moment, but it’s also important to set goals and make a plan to take action towards achieving those goals. Reflecting on what you want in life will also help to keep you focused on your current tasks, if you know that they’re ultimately going to help you in the long run. If you’re a visual person, draw out a roadmap of your goals, or make a list. Don’t forget to revisit these goals and look at where you are on your roadmap.
Pretty planners are nice and all, but your to-do list won’t get any shorter unless you actually start getting things done. You got this! What are some of your favourite planning tips? Let us know @HCuOttawa!