my recent finals-induced hiatus from “ask miss g” got me thinking about the importance of organization and time-management. usually, i’m pretty cool in this department. in college, i rarely got all stressed out about papers and tests and random off-the-syllabus assignments that professors loooove to give (because of course you have nothing better to do). i just planned out my time, did my work, and moved on. even in grad school i haven’t been too sluggish about giving myself enough time to complete my assignments and still maintaining a life. that is, until like 2 weeks ago. it seems like everything just snuck up on me until it got to the ‘oh crap this stuff is due next week’ time and i realized how far behind i was. and in case you’re wondering, doing 2 presentations, making handouts, and writing a research paper at the same time is the opposite fun.
the difference between then and now is that i was not my usual freakishly OCD self when it came to organizing my time. last semester, for example, i put all of my assignments in iCal and even wrote out when i needed to start everything. a bit excessive, yes, but it was totally helpful. now i know that being organized and managing time well isn’t high on many people’s lists of things to do (& if you’re already making lists then maybe you don’t need this post), but it definitely comes in handy in college and beyond. it’s great to start early (like in high school) when you don’t have as much stuff to do. the idea is to start small and really master it so that when it comes time to put them to use they’ll be old hat.
here are a few tips to get started:
- color-coding: having the same color folders and notebooks for particular classes makes it helpful when you’re rushing to just grab the set and go.
- to-do lists: this the tried-and-true method of making sure to get stuff done. semester assignment lists are a good way to see what has to be done and when. and if you’re really disorganized, try weekly or daily lists just to keep yourself on track.
- computer stuff: i personally LOVE these things! google calendar lets you make different calendars for different aspects of your life and you can also set it to remind you of things. it’s like microsoft outlook… only better because it’s google.
- planner: old-fashioned, yes, but it def gets the job done. planners are especially great for remember the assignment changes that profs and teachers announce in class.
being organized is great, but DON’T BECOME A SCHEDULE FREAK!! i can’t stress this enough. you should use your schedule as a guide, not as a life plan. if you miss an internal deadline (i.e. one that you set rather than a due date) don’t beat yourself up. the goal is to make life less stressful, not more.
