Whether you're all about the pen-and-paper or can't stand to do anything that requires picking up a writing utensil, this guide's got you covered. Here, you'll find common and not-so-common methods and strategies that you can use to make your mountainous coursework an easy hike.
1. Google Calendar
This is the favorite of many college students, and for good reason, too. Google calendar is synced to your Gmail, Drive, Docs, and so much more. You can get email and desktop notifications reminding you of homework, project due dates, events, birthdays, appointments, and essentially anything else you want. If you have any other calendars for an organization you're part of, you can combine those with your primary calendar as well. Not to mention, Google calendar is pretty minimalist and streamlined so you can give it an appearance that vibes with you.
2. Bullet journal
If you've never heard of a bullet journal or are unfamiliar with what it's supposed to do, join the club. There are so many people who are daunted by the very idea (@me from two weeks ago) and discount it as more time-consuming than more conventional methods. In order to not freak yourself out, direct your attention to these wonderful quick reads on bullet journaling: one and two (haha so clever I know). When I first read about it, I didn't see how it could help and why so many people were raving about it. But, I decided to give it a go and I'm quite glad I did. A bullet journal sort of works indirectly in the sense that it helps you to break down assignments and events by month, by week, and then by day, making tasks a lot more manageable and less intimidating.
3. A planner
Ah, the good ol' planner. Seems kind of plain and boring, but there are so many different formats that you can try out until you find the one that works for you. There are so many affordable styles available on Amazon to be sent right to your door, but if you want a test run, you can also find free printables online that are just as effective. Here's a website for your traditional planner printable and here's one for printables on other topics such as combination-scheduling and mood tracking. (Fun fact: you can even use the printables as inspiration for your bullet journal!).
4. A multi-platform app
If you find yourself constantly having to write things down as you remember them and then having trouble remembering where you wrote it down (from the thousands of possible places), then a multi-platform app might be the perfect tool for you. Apps like Wunderlist (pictured above), Google Keep, Evernote, and many others are downloadable onto your phone, tablet, and laptop, so something you wrote down on your phone will automatically sync to your other devices. What's great about apps like Wunderlist is that you can maintain multiple lists within different folders for some uber organization without a lot of effort.
5. Schedule breaks
Wait, what? Breaks actually make you more productive? Yes, YOU, the person reading this, breaks are so much more important than society makes them out to be. Studies have shown that taking breaks makes you more efficient with your work and sets you up for crucial long-term success. Don't give up this valid reason for you to build in some short, enjoyable activities into your day. If you have to, set recurring reminders (e.g. every hour) to switch things up and give your brain (and heart) a rest.
You got this.
