{"id":885,"date":"2021-03-23T12:00:38","date_gmt":"2021-03-23T17:00:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.tntech.edu\/graduate\/?p=885"},"modified":"2020-09-03T11:09:47","modified_gmt":"2020-09-03T16:09:47","slug":"45-tips-for-staying-organized-in-college","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.tntech.edu\/graduate\/2021\/03\/23\/45-tips-for-staying-organized-in-college\/","title":{"rendered":"45 Tips for Staying Organized in College"},"content":{"rendered":"

I love being in college. And, though my room may not always show it, I also love being organized and productive. One of my most popular posts on this blog is my\u00a0Ultimate Guide to College Organization<\/a>, and since it\u2019s been read and shared so many times, I thought I\u2019d make an updated, expanded guide on staying organized in college. Here are my top\u00a045 tips for staying organized in college<\/strong>!<\/p>\n

It may seem like a lot, but you definitely don\u2019t need to implement all these tips. Just read them over and see which ones fit you and your lifestyle. Above all, remember that caring for yourself is the most important. Having an organized life on the outside means nothing if you are not happy with yourself and your life.<\/p>\n

The Right Attitude for Staying Organized in College<\/h2>\n

Check Out:\u00a0The Ultimate Guide to College Motivation<\/a>\u00a0to stay motivated<\/h3>\n

1. Be motivated.\u00a0<\/strong>I can\u2019t stress enough how important it is that you are motivated to tackle the mess in your life. Otherwise, when the going gets tough, you will get sloppy. My advice is to make a list \u2013 yes, with real pen and paper \u2013 of why you want a clean, organized, and manageable life. Tack it up somewhere where you will see it when you start to feel unmotivated.<\/p>\n

Using Planning to Stay Organized in College<\/h2>\n

2. Keep a planner, or a planner app<\/strong>. During the school year, I use my planner religiously to track my classes, assignments, and social plans. My favorite planner\u00a0for college students is the\u00a0Panda Planner<\/a>, which is great for boosting both productivity and a positive outlook on life. It helps me stay focused and optimistic! You can check out the planner\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

3. Use\u00a0only one<\/em>\u00a0planner.<\/strong>\u00a0Just as important as using a planner is only keeping one. If you have both a paper planner and an app, or multiple planners, the odds are that something will eventually slip between the cracks when you forget to write down your plans in both. Also, having more than one will take up a lot of your time.<\/p>\n

Check out:\u00a0The Ultimate Guide to College Organization<\/a>\u00a0for how I use my planner<\/h3>\n

4. Keep it with you.\u00a0<\/strong>During the school year, I always have my planner on-hand. That way, if I get a new assignment, make plans with friends, or have to schedule a doctor\u2019s appointment, I can write it down immediately before I forget.<\/p>\n

5. Stick to your plans. <\/strong>Have a rule:\u00a0if you write it down, get it done.<\/strong>\u00a0That way, your planner is more than a helpful reminder of what you\u00a0could have<\/em>\u00a0accomplished today: it\u2019s an actual guide to what you will be doing.<\/p>\n

6. Plan at the beginning of every week or month.\u00a0<\/strong>At the beginning of every new week, sit down and write in your activities, classes, and any reminders (call Mom!<\/em>) for the coming days. I don\u2019t have the time to do this all at once at the beginning of my semester, so doing it on a weekly basis works for me.<\/p>\n

7. Use the days-before-it\u2019s-due system.<\/strong>\u00a0I learned this trick over at\u00a0Organize My College Life<\/a>. In your planner, use red pen to mark the day an assignment is due. Write it out in blue pen in the two days ahead; black for three to five days ahead; and green for six to nine days ahead. That way, you will always see assignments coming up on the horizon, and won\u2019t ever be surprised by an essay that\u2019s due tomorrow.<\/p>\n

8. Schedule chores<\/strong>. Doing laundry, taking out the trash, you name it. Planning to do this every Sunday will keep your laundry from piling up on the floor, or your bin from overflowing.<\/p>\n

Syllabus Tips for Staying Organized in College<\/h2>\n

9. Save all your syllabi.<\/strong>\u00a0This is so important. If your professor gives you a guide to what your entire semester is going to look like,\u00a0don\u2019t lose it.<\/em><\/p>\n

10. Annotate your syllabi.<\/strong>\u00a0Mark your syllabus with everything you need to remember. I have a guide to this in my\u00a0Ultimate Guide to College Organization<\/a>, so to learn how, click\u00a0here<\/a>!<\/p>\n

11. Make an assignment list<\/strong>. When I was taking five classes, keeping an assignment list saved my tail quite a few times. Gather all your syllabi together and make one long sheet of every day that an assignment is due. You can see how I do it\u00a0here<\/a>, or learn Organized Charm\u2019s great method\u00a0over at her blog<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Using Daily Tasks to Stay\u00a0Organized in College<\/h2>\n

12. Keep to-do lists.<\/strong>\u00a0I keep a to do list every day. Do it in your planner, on your phone, or over email \u2013 the point is, it will help you stay on-track. The\u00a0Panda Planner<\/a>\u00a0has some great to do list features in its daily view.<\/p>\n

13. Wake up at the same time every day.<\/strong> Whether you\u2019re a morning glory or a late riser, pick a time to wake up every day and stick to it. Often I find that when I oversleep, I feel that my morning has been \u201cwasted\u201d and I don\u2019t do much work. Waking up at the same time every day will help you avoid this and get into a set schedule.<\/p>\n

14. Make your bed when you get up.\u00a0<\/strong>Making your bed will keep your room clean, and will keep you from crawling back in if you\u2019re sleepy.<\/p>\n

15. Have a consistent schedule.\u00a0<\/strong>Try to keep a daily or weekly schedule that you\u2019ll stick to. I find that I\u2019m a lot less productive when my schedule is all over the place.<\/p>\n

16. Figure out your most productive time.\u00a0<\/strong>Figure out what time of the day you are the most productive. For some people, it\u2019s in the early morning before breakfast; for others, mid-afternoon, or late at night. Find when you get the most work done and try to optimize that time for productivity and work.<\/p>\n

17. Stock your backpack.\u00a0<\/strong>I have a friend who spends 15 minutes a day filling their backpack with what they need to work that day. I find that a great time-saver is to have my backpack always stocked with pens, my planner, and a water bottle. In the mornings, you can slip in your laptop and a notebook and you\u2019re ready to go!<\/p>\n

18. Plan your outfit ahead of time<\/strong>. I used to spend forever in the mornings picking my outfit. Now I go to bed with a vague idea of what I\u2019ll wear the next day. It helps me save time in the mornings to know what I want.<\/p>\n

19. Clean-desk policy.\u00a0<\/strong>I admit that I consistently fail at this, but I know that my boyfriend finds it very useful. At the end of every night, try to have a clear desk, with just your computer, lamp, or books on it, and no clutter. It will keep your room tidy and make it easier to find what you need in the morning.<\/p>\n

Check out:\u00a0My College Room Tour<\/a>\u00a0to see how I organize my desk<\/h3>\n

20. Clean-floor policy.\u00a0<\/strong>Ditto with the floor. Again, this is a weak spot for me, but I try not to have any clutter on my floor during the week so that it is easier to get and find what I need.<\/p>\n

21. Spend 5 minutes a day cleaning.<\/strong>\u00a0Seriously, you will be amazed at what you can do in five minutes a day. When I\u2019m having a hard time staying motivated to keep organized, these few minutes at a time save me from total chaos.<\/p>\n

Work Tips\u00a0for Staying Organized in College<\/h2>\n

22. Have a system for taking notes<\/strong>. It doesn\u2019t matter what kind you use \u2013 Cornell notes, color-coded scribbles, or Word Notebook \u2013 just make sure that you have a system and stick to it. It will make it easier to review notes later on.<\/p>\n

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23. Don\u2019t question and don\u2019t stop yourself while writing. <\/strong>This is how I get my essays done so quickly \u2013 don\u2019t worry too much about the quality of your writing while you\u2019re at work. I find that I can hold myself back endlessly by worrying about a single word or sentence. Instead, let go of your inhibitions and don\u2019t be afraid to write a terrible first draft. You can always edit later.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

24. Use a timer.\u00a0<\/strong>Work in bursts of time. Some people swear by 25 minutes; I prefer to work for an hour at a time, and then take a longer break. Either way, using a timer will keep you accountable and prevent you from wandering over to Facebook or Pinterest while you should be working.<\/p>\n

25. Work and play in different areas.<\/strong>\u00a0I heard the following from a nurse: bed should be for the three S\u2019s: sleep, sickness, and sex \u2013 not work. Work at a desk or in a library, and reserve your room or bed for hanging out and sleep.<\/p>\n

26. Use the 8\/8\/8 method for balancing your life.\u00a0<\/strong>I heard this tip from the same nurse. It\u2019s a way to divide your time to be responsible and still relax. Try to sleep for eight hours a day, spend eight working, and eight hours for the rest of your life \u2013 time with friends, eating, etc.<\/p>\n

27. Set your own deadlines.<\/strong>\u00a0This has saved me countless times when it comes to writing essays. If you have two essays due on the same day, vow to finish one of them on a different date; for example, a week or three days before it\u2019s due. This will mean that you have to get started earlier, but it also means you will not have to scramble to finish all your work at the same time when your\u00a0actual<\/em>\u00a0due dates come around.<\/p>\n

Digital Organization for Staying Organized in College<\/h2>\n

28. Make yourself a schedule<\/strong>. Making yourself a schedule, even by using Google Calendar and screenshotting it, can be really useful. You get to have a copy of your permanent schedule on hand.<\/p>\n

29. Set up email filters<\/strong>. I use Gmail, and I find email filters and tags a great way to organize my emails so that they stay organized without too much work. I use one tab for personal and one for academic, with different tags for different activities and classes. It helps make my inbox feel more manageable.<\/p>\n

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30. Use SelfControl<\/a>, or actual self-control, to limit time spent on websites.\u00a0<\/strong>This app keeps you from accessing websites like Facebook, Tumblr, or Twitter when you should be working. It is free and highly customizable \u2013 you can block any website you like.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

31. Back up your computer\u00a0<\/strong>using a hard drive. That way, if it crashes, you won\u2019t lose all your hard work.<\/p>\n

32. Disconnect from the internet for a few hours a day<\/strong>. Unplugging is a healthy way to curb stress and keep yourself from wasting too much time on the internet.<\/p>\n

Supplies for Staying Organized in College<\/h2>\n

Check out:\u00a0The Ultimate Guide to College Organization<\/a><\/h3>\n

33. Give each class a color<\/strong>. Each of my classes gets a distinct and separate color like blue, red, or green. I then match all my binders and notebooks for that class to that color, so that they are easier to find and grab when I am on the go.<\/p>\n

34. Keep binders, folders, and\/or notebooks for each of your classes<\/strong>. Everyone is different, but I find binders the easiest for most of my classes. Find out which one(s) work best for you and then do your best to keep them organized.<\/p>\n

35. Have system for organizing your binders.<\/strong>\u00a0I love\u00a0this one<\/a>\u00a0by the Holladay Life.<\/p>\n

Tips for Keeping Your Room and Desk\u00a0Organized in College<\/h2>\n

36. \u201cIf you take it out, put it back\u201d rule.\u00a0<\/strong>This is the easiest way to keep a desk clear.<\/p>\n

37. Toss duplicates.<\/strong>\u00a0You don\u2019t need two staplers, or three rolls of tape. Give one away put it in storage for when your first one breaks or runs out.<\/p>\n

38. Keep any \u201cmight needs\u201d in your desk drawer, rather than on your desktop.\u00a0<\/strong>Keep staplers, hole-punchers, etc., in your drawers rather than on the top of your desk. This will help keep your desk neat and organized.<\/p>\n

39. Label loose cords.<\/strong>\u00a0Use masking tape to label your cords with words like \u201ccamera,\u201d \u201ciPhone,\u201d etc. This will help you identify them after you forget what they\u2019re for.<\/p>\n

40. Label your chargers ends with the same washi tape<\/strong>. I saw this tip on Pinterest and loved it. Using the same washi tape on your cord ends will help you know what to unplug when you\u2019re in a rush. Bonus: it helps when untangling, too!<\/p>\n

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41.Use a binder clip at the edge of your desk to store your charger ends.<\/strong>\u00a0I learned this trick over at\u00a0Instructables<\/a>\u00a0and I\u2019ve found it really helpful for not losing my cord ends.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

42. Keep a white board with reminders to yourself.\u00a0<\/strong>I love using my whiteboard as a place for reminders and notes to myself. You can find them pretty inexpensively at your local supply store, or even CVS.<\/p>\n

Self-Care Tips for Staying Organized in College<\/h2>\n

43. Sleep enough.<\/strong>\u00a0I can\u2019t emphasize this enough. Sleep is so important! Try to get between seven and nine hours of sleep a day, depending on your age and preferences, which will help you stay alert and happy during the day.<\/p>\n

44. Meditation\/yoga\/mindfulness\/prayer.\u00a0<\/strong>Find something that makes you feel connected to yourself or your spirituality. Mental health is so incredibly important, not just for being organized, but for being a balanced and happy person. Take care of yourself!<\/p>\n

45. Go easy on yourself<\/strong>. No one is perfect, and it can be incredibly difficult to stay on top of everything in your life. Do your best, but remember if you mess up that it is okay to make mistakes. All that matters is that you are tryin<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I love being in college. And, though my room may not always show it, I also love being organized and productive. One of my most popular posts on this blog is my\u00a0Ultimate Guide to College Organization, and since it\u2019s been read and shared so many times, I thought I\u2019d make an updated, expanded guide on […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":886,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-885","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-uncategorized"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/blogs.tntech.edu\/graduate\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/09\/Bible-Journaling-For-Beginners-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.tntech.edu\/graduate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/885","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.tntech.edu\/graduate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.tntech.edu\/graduate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.tntech.edu\/graduate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.tntech.edu\/graduate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=885"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.tntech.edu\/graduate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/885\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":887,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.tntech.edu\/graduate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/885\/revisions\/887"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.tntech.edu\/graduate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/886"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.tntech.edu\/graduate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=885"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.tntech.edu\/graduate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=885"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.tntech.edu\/graduate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=885"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}