Staying organized in college can be challenging. During what could be the busiest time of your life, the more in control of your responsibilities you are, the less things will slip through the cracks as you try to juggle school, work, a social life, taking care of yourself, etc. Staying organized will also help you manage stress and will be beneficial to your overall well being.
Whether you’re renting on-campus accommodation or staying in off-campus housing near Ohio University, you need to ensure your living space provides you with what you need in order to be both organized and comfortable. College can be challenging at times, but if you’re organized you can get through it much more easily. Here are six tips for staying organized in college.
1. Make A Calendar
One of the easiest ways to stay organized is by making a calendar. This way you can keep a clear record of your class schedule along with any social engagements, your work schedule, etc. You’ll be able to create more of a balance between your responsibilities and your social life.
Include details such as important tests or study group meetings, and you can even add your daily homework assignments. Don’t forget to include time for exercise and self-care. Take some time at the beginning of each week to update your calendar; if you’re dedicated to filling out your calendar, it will be a great help to you.
2. Keep A To-Do List
Many people like to keep a to-do list to help them stay organized. You can keep one in conjunction with or separate from a calendar. This is helpful and also satisfying as you get to check off each task once you’ve completed it. You can include things you need to do for school, your personal life, and anything in between.
You could either write a daily or weekly to-do list, depending on your deadlines. You can include even basic tasks such as chores and shopping. If you live in off-campus housing, you can prepare a list of household tasks and even make a chore chart to divvy out tasks between you and your roommates. Keep your to-do list up to date so you don’t forget anything!
3. Save Your Syllabi
Keep the syllabus your professor gives you or print one out yourself and keep it with your class notes. The syllabus will help you keep track of exam dates, large projects and their descriptions, when your professor holds office hours, TA contact information, and more.
Having this information handy means you only have to open your notebook or binder to access these important bits of information, instead of searching through old papers or an online course page.
4. Maintain Your Living Space
Make sure you choose somewhere you can be comfortable studying. Think about what you need to study well. This may be related to the amount of natural light in your room, or perhaps you would like a large bedroom, or even a separate room for studying. For many people it’s easier to study in an organized environment, so try keeping your space tidy. Ideally, you want to create a haven in which you can relax after a long day, but also study when you need to.
If you’re moving in with roommates try to ensure you’re all on the same page about the rules in your living space. You could set quiet times or areas for working on schoolwork, for example, and find a way to share chores equally.
5. Find Out When You Are Most Productive
Not everyone is the same, some people find they are more productive in the mornings, whereas others focus more in the evenings. The important thing is to figure out which works best for you. This will help you set aside time to study when you know you are at your most productive.
If it doesn’t seem realistic to you to do schoolwork early in the morning then organize your calendar so you have free time to study in the evening. Hopefully, you’ll be able to manage your stress and get your work done when you’re most comfortable.
6. Set Personal Deadlines
Even though you might already have enough deadlines from your professors, if you want to stay organized in college you need to set yourself personal deadlines. More importantly, you need to try to stick to them. For example, if you have a paper due in two weeks, try and attempt a first draft in one week, and then for the next week before the due date you’ll have time to perfect the final version. This is much less stressful than trying to cram the entire thing at the last minute.
Staying organized in college can be challenging. You’ll no doubt be facing pressures from both your studies and social life. Follow these tips to stay organized; the more prepared you are, the easier it will be.
Contact Wharton Rentals to find off-campus housing near Ohio University that will help you stay organized.
