5 Tips for Staying Organized in College

     Hey guys! I wanted to share some of my tips for staying organized in college. Now that I am pretty far into my fall semester I am confident that I have found what works for me. I hope this helps y'all! 

1. {Always use a planner.} This is the best tip I can give you whether it is your first semester of college or if its your last. You are going to have so many different things going on from school to social activities to remembering when your rent is due. 

This is the planner that I use, it's the Day Designer from Blue Sky  (also available at Target) 

     2.  {Use your syllabus!!} Every professor is different but most will give you either a paper syllabus or have it posted on their website. On the syllabus they have all the dates for the tests, quizzes, homework assignments, and essays that are due. Depending on your professor, some will have a day to day schedule of what the lecture will be over and the chapter in the textbook that corresponds to the lecture. This is very helpful because this allows you to read ahead that way in the lecture you are more familiar with the information rather than hearing the information for the first time. 

     3. {Take advantage of libraries and study rooms on campus.} These resources are extremely helpful during exam weeks. They are a great place to get study groups together and have a study session. Many campus's also have private study rooms that you can schedule a time so you can have it to yourself. Personally I find it easier to study in these types of places because if I study in my apartment I get distracted very easily and I am not very productive. (Also because my schools library has a Starbucks in it ☕) 

This is an example of a individual study room 

     4. {Keep Things Tidy} Don't freak out I don't mean everything has to be spotless, but keeping your room and school materials organized can help during your mid week stress out. Not only is nice to come home to a neat room but it helps when you have to hunker down for an intense study session. I know that personally when my bed is made and junk is off the floor I tend to concentrate better on what I am working on. Just keep it simple: Make your bed, pick up your clothes, have a space just for your school materials (desk, shelf, or drawer), and throw away trash. 

     5. {Learn what method of taking notes works for you} Personally it depends on the class, for example in my history and math classes I take my notes by hand. This just makes it easier to copy down any extra work or charts that my teachers provide. In my psychology and sociology classes I take my notes on my laptop in a google document. I prefer this way because my professors in those two classes talk very fast and cover a lot of information in one class so this helps me keep up. If you do take notes on your laptop I would recommend making your own study guides by hand because it helps to learn or memorize something if you hand write it. Again this is just what works for me but finding out what methods work for you can help you get the most out of your classes and help you study later on.