We made it one week into the semester. Whether your professor started lecturing the first day, or whether they are one of the blessings who let their students out early the first day, everything’s in full swing now. Since things usually aren't too heavy in the beginning of the semester, (hopefully you have at least a couple weeks before your first huge essay or test), it’s easy to procrastinate, assuming you'll get to it later. However, once you let it go, it’s not coming back, and it's all downhill from there. It’s important to stay organized from the first day, and you’ll thank yourself later when you’re not frantically trying to find your notes the night before a test worth 25% of your grade.
Here are 5 ways to prepare yourself for a productive year. Find your strategies, and get the organization out the way now so you don’t have to waste any effort later.
1. Use Your Planner
Get a planner before class starts, and know how you like to use it. Whether you like to make a list of weekly goals, color coat, or map out your entire day, do it now. Mark important dates as soon as you plan them, and find a way to highlight big assignments so you don’t forget about them. Try to keep your planner organized, and use a smaller notebook or your phone for random scribbled notes throughout the day.
2. Know How You Take Notes
If you haven’t figured out what kind of note taker you are, the middle of the semester is not the time to learn. You'll be a mess the night before a huge test when your notes are scrawled in different notebooks, and some are on random word files. If you like typing notes, ask if you can use your laptop the first day. Make folders for each of your classes, and even figure out how to title your documents. Some of your professors will probably start lecturing the first day, so don't go in with the same notebook for every class. Get it all our of the way now, because rewriting notes is not a fun way to spend your time, and you’ll thank yourself later.
3. Print Out the Syllbus
Most professors hand out the syllabus the first day, but if they post it online, at least print out the class schedule. Always having your upcoming assignments in front of you is a lot easier than constantly having to check the website. And if you highlight important dates, nothing will creep up on you and you can plan ahead. The few cents it costs to print it out will be well worth it, because it'll keep you on track the entire semester.
4. Don’t Over-schedule
Trust me, if you plan out every single hour of your day, you’re bound to disappoint yourself. Some things may take longer than expected, and distractions happen. They say plan 70% of your day, and don't forget to schedule some down town to recharge for maximum productivity later.
5. DO The Reading
Start well, end well. Don't slack off and skim through the material just because the workload it lighter right now. Because you won't get to it later. Plus, although the first readings are usually the driest, they set up the foundation for the course. Take time to read that boring article, because if you miss something important, you'll be lost for the rest of the semester.