If you’ve read my previous blog posts on the GCC site, then you know that I thoroughly enjoy sharing my tips with you to be successful academically and otherwise. You also know that I love organizing my school materials, especially in such a way that helps catalyze academic success. My planner is basically my life written down! Everything about my school, work, and social life goes in this little book that follows me everywhere, and it is amazing!
I used a planner throughout high school, but I kept it quite simple. I just wrote down homework and anything school related I didn’t want to forget. However, when I entered college I really needed to step up my planner game.
Not only do I recommend that you have and use a planner, but I’m also going to share some tips to use it the most effective way!
To start I’ll share with you what planner I use, mine is by the brand Ban.do. This is the second “agenda” I’ve purchased through this ‘girl boss’ company and I love it! There are stickers and illustrations among other things that make organizing fun and aesthetically pleasing to look at. If you aren’t about the glitz and glam, or the higher price there are tons of options that can suit anyone! Agendas can be found at any store that carries school supplies or online.
Note: I recommend an agenda with weekly layouts, and a monthly calendar view.
Daily Organization:
As for daily organization, I recommend highlighters and pens in multiple colors. I personally write everything down in black pen, but another technique that would prove extremely helpful would be to get an assortment of pens, and dedicate a color to each class; then write each classes assignments in that respective color. Another extremely useful technique I use is to use highlighters for due dates. On the day that an assignment is due or I have an exam, I write on the top of that day what is due or exam is scheduled and highlight it bright yellow. This allows easy scanning to see what is coming up.
A peak inside my agenda! This is a old weekly layout.
As I mentioned before, I recommend writing down all of your homework or reminders for classes in the weekly spread, and to keep track of what has been done, what you didn’t get to, and what you partially completed. I use a checkmark (finished), an ‘X’ (still needs to be done), and a check mark with a dash through it (partially finished). I then carry whatever I didn’t get to or didn’t finish to the next day’s box to be completed.
Monthly Organization:
The monthly view in my agenda wasn’t something I used at all throughout high school or even my freshman year of college, but as my life has gotten crazier so has my agenda. I have far more to write down and keep track off, so the monthly view has proven extremely useful.
Another look at my agenda! This is my monthly view that I had set up for August.
This is another section of your agenda that I would recommend an assortment of highlighters or colored pens for. Similar to the weekly spread you dedicate a color to each event, and again this will make it super easy to know what you have going on throughout the month or on a particular week.
My monthly spread usually tracks appointments, my work schedule, and any social events. I would also recommend crossing off days that have already passed in the monthly view so when you give it a quick glance there is no confusion from extra data on the page.
Overall, my agenda has become my sidekick and my life would most likely be in shambles if I were not so extremely organized which is why I highly recommend you take the time to purchase and set up an agenda using these tips to help use it to its fullest capability.
There are tons of different ways to help organize your thoughts in agenda, but these are just some of the ways I’ve found most effective!
Being organized is being in control, so take control of your life now.
-Danielle
Genesee Community College Blog 