Sometimes students, in the craziness of everything we get overwhelmed and feel like we are about to lose our mind. Little do college students know that simply staying organized can make your life 10 times easier! Here are a few tips on how to stay organized so you can stay sane while in college.

1. Use an Agenda!

I think people truly underestimate the power of an agenda. By using an agenda all of your assignments are in one place telling you what you need to get done. Personally I write down all of my things to get done in a checklist style and when I finish something I put a check mark, when I don’t I put an ‘X’, and if I only got through part of it I put a check mark with a dash through it, that way I can also keep track of what is already done and what I still need to do. My favorite kind of agenda has a calendar view for each month, along with weekly views with a big space to write whatever you please for each day. I use the 2017-2018 large agenda by Ban.do!

Some of my other favorite agendas!

2. Utilize Your Supplies the Right Way.

There are two systems I would recommend using to keep all of your handouts and homework tidy and organized, it’s really up to you to pick which one you prefer. My first system is one that I used in high school, mostly because my teachers preferred it and I got plenty of handouts; and that is to use a binder and dividers. I like this system to separate all of your papers into different sections and then all of your handouts and notes are in one place. However I don’t like how much space binders take up in your bag, but it is a great way to keep everything in one place. My other system which I use now is the folders and notebooks method. I use a different color folder for each class, and I use one 5 subject notebook and designate one section to each class. I find that folders are much smaller which leaves more room for me to fit other things in my bookbag. And I’ve found that in college you take more notes than you do receive handouts, so I would always recommend a notebook for any college course.

3. Highlight, Highlight, Highlight.

I was never a huge highlighter in high school, not that I really read my textbooks in high school… But once I came to GCC and I learned that you actually do have to read the textbooks I started using the highlighting technique. It’s pretty self explanatory, but as I’m reading I will highlight key words, definitions, and anything I think is helpful. I’ve found that it not only helps me find what I’m looking for later on more efficiently, but it also seems to help me remember what I read better.

4. Make To-Do Lists.

To-do lists is something I recently became obsessed with in the fall of 2016. I’m not sure exactly why it started but eventually I started to write down everything I wanted to do in a day from start to finish on a sheet of paper and as I got things done, the same as in my agenda, I put a checkmark next to it. I found that this helped keep me productive and motivated to get things done, and it also felt great to check everything off that I wanted to do in the day. This is different from what I do in my agenda because I mainly use my agenda for homework and work purposes, whereas my to-do list is a step by step overview on everything I want to do.

5. Put Dates From Your Syllabi in Your Agenda

This tip will save you, and your grades. When students get their syllabi they typically throw it in their backpack, in the garbage, or to the back of their folder where it won’t be touched again. However your syllabi is also your kryptonite. Most professors give you a set schedule for when assignments are due; when you are lucky enough to encounter this, I recommend writing down all of the due dates along with the name of the assignment in your agenda or even just on a calendar view print out you can find on Google!

There are so many ways to simplify your life, and make your academic year easier for you, but the ones I’ve shared with you are some of my favorite and ones that I use everyday. I hope this helped you out,and may the odds be ever in your favor for the rest of the semester.

“Ask yourself if what you’re doing today is getting you closer to where you want to be tomorrow.” -Unknown

-Danielle