Spending time organizing your school materials, workspace and life may seem like the last thing you want to do after a long day at school or work. Surprisingly, organization can help make things easier in the long run and free-up time for other activities. Keep reading to learn how you can go from disorganized to organized in a few simple steps.
Organization starts with a routine
Don’t let a routine scare you; it can do wonders for your life. Going to bed and waking up around the same time everyday can have positive effects on your physical and mental health. Being mentally prepared each day will help you to be successful throughout your college career.
Be sure to wake up at a time that will give you a moment to wake up, shower, go for a run or cook breakfast. Cooking yourself or having breakfast every morning is another great thing to add to your routine, this will give you the fuel to keep going. It’s important to start your day on the right foot with a routine that energizes you.
Create and keep up with a calendar
This can be done in many different ways and is all based on your preferences. You can use the traditional paper calendar, a planner, your computer or an app to keep track of all your commitments. Incorporating a calendar into your life will make it easier to visualize what you have coming up and will make things easier when trying to schedule meetings or group projects.
Color-coding your calendar can also make things easier when looking at the week ahead. Use different colors for classes, work and personal events. If you are using a computer or app, you can set up reminders for events so you don’t miss out on anything you have planned. To get the most out of using a calendar, you should set aside 15-30 minutes on a Sunday (or any day that works best for you) to look at the week ahead and schedule events.
Utilize a to-do list
Combining a to-do list with a well-kept calendar will make you well organized and destined for success. Keeping a list of your assignments and categorizing them by class, due date and type of assignment will help you be efficient with your time and help you remember all of your assignments.
When you sit down to create or update your calendar, you should also work on your to-do list. Using the colors you use for your calendar will also make looking at both easier and more organized.
Keep your workplace clean and class materials organized
Nothing is worse than coming home from a long day, sitting down to do schoolwork and having a workspace so disorganized you have no room to do the actual work. Keeping your workspace clean will help alleviate stress and allow you to get to work without any distractions. Clean up as you go; when you are finished working for the day or night, get it ready for the next day. You will thank yourself later!
Keeping class materials organized will also help you be a more efficient student and make the college life easier. Get folders or notebooks for each class, or create specific folders on your computer for each class. Having individual folders will help you keep track of important materials, syllabi or other important class-related information.
While these organization tips are most useful for college, they can be helpful during any season of life! Begin to implement some of these and see how your life changes for the better.