College life can get messy. It can get difficult trying to remember deadlines, get work done and keep your grades up when you're surrounded by a sea of overloaded notebooks, projects and text books. For those of you struggling to keep everything organized and in one place, here are five easy ways to keep yourself more organized this fall semester:
Keep a notebook or binder with labeled tabs
Having a notebook or binder separated into labeled sections is a life-saver. I keep one for classes on Monday and Wednesday, and one for Tuesday and Thursday. Everything you need for a day of class is clearly labeled and in one section all together. No more carrying around 10 separate folders and notebooks.
Keep a planner
Having a planner gives you one clear space to make note of all your week's responsibilities, not to mention, there's a style out there for everyone. Choose what best fits your needs, determining how many days you want on one page, how much room you need to write, and how small or large you want it to be.
Write down due dates
Get in the habit of going through your syllabus at the start of each month. Look through due dates, deadlines, and upcoming projects or exams. Make note of these in the monthly calendar of your planner; this allows you to visualize what you have to do for the next few weeks at the start of every month. It's key in prioritizing your time.
Cross things off as you go
What good is writing it all down if you don't keep up with it, right? Once you've accomplished a task, cross it off your list. You'll make it easier on yourself to keep up with upcoming work, and decipher how much time you have for other aspects of your professional and social life.
Clean as you go
It's easy to get lost in your work, flipping through textbooks and throwing around loose paper. To avoid drowning in it, don't create a sea of schoolwork. Keep things in a designated place, and put them back when you've finished work for that class. Before moving on to other work, clean up your mess from the previous. The best way to keep yourself from having a cluttered work space is to keep it from building up.
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