How to Stay Organized This Semester
Organization is a transferable tool that encapsulates one’s potential success in university. As a first-year student, it can be strenuous to navigate and decipher useful resources with the plethora of options that are advertised and recommended. However, you do not need to spend hours on complex apps, formulating the perfect method to succeed. Keeping it siimple is equally effective and does not undermine your determination. Although organization is a moderately universal concept that does not extensively diverge in meaning, popular tools and mechanisms are not compatible with everyone’s preferences. Therefore, I will provide students with organizational methods that have helped me adapt to university as a first-year student to ease into the daunting times of a new semester.
Taking care of yourself first
Organizing your academic life is not the only critical component you should incorporate in your life. An organized mind equals an organized life. Although these tips may seem overused and tattered, burnout remains a recurring consequence of ignorance because we assume our limits are malleable. However, you are only a human, a fallible creature that cannot withstand unceasing demands. Taking care of yourself does not override how much you value your academic life. Small things can cause drastic differences in your day and form simple yet innovative habits. For example, reserving at least one or two hours of your day for yourself. You have complete agency during this period. Do something that distances you from school. I like taking this time for myself before I sleep so I can clear my mind. Moreover, maintain a clean workspace and decorate your room with objects that bring you joy and reside with your personal life. It is enlightening to be reminded of people and places you can look forward to when you are feeling overwhelmed. Finally, put effort into your appearance even if there is no significant occasion. Wear a nice outfit, do your hair, take a shower, do your makeup, wear jewelry, paint your nails. Simple practices like these can make you feel organized internally.
Note-taking
Note-taking is a task that every student should prioritize in class. It is important to formulate your notes in a structure that makes sense to you. Note-taking is a personal practice and fluctuates between students. Therefore, do not question the value of your style if your notes appear different from your peers. An app that has been a life-saver for me is One Note. It is a free note-taking app that separates all your courses into folders and allows you to label each unit of your notes in those folders. It condenses the intimidating visuals of scattered documents in Google Docs or Word. Moreover, if your professor provides PowerPoints, it contains an option to paste the downloaded PowerPoint into your folder with a writing column beside it. This is an ingenious approach to separating the PowerPoint from your professor's lecture in class. It is a common mistake to copy vernacular from a PowerPoint during a lecture because it is time-consuming and categorized as passive learning. Therefore, One Note allows you to write the professor’s spoken words beside the correlating PowerPoint slide, which is accompanied by many benefits, such as being able to focus your attention on the material presented in person.
Google Calendar and color coordination
Google Calendar is a must in university, and it is an extremely simple tool. When you get your syllabus, import all the important dates into your Google calendar. It gives you an extended reminder and creates a coherent visual of your upcoming deadlines; therefore, mitigating the stress of uncertainty. In addition, color-coordinating your classes trains your brain to immediately recognize what is required for that specific class. Moreover, If you import your deadline as a task, it automatically organizes the deadline into Google Tasks, which is a separate app that creates a checklist for upcoming events with dates.
Notion
Notion is a more intricate platform that can seem unnerving at first; however, you can download templates from other creators that establish everything for you. You can look for these templates on Tiktok or other social platforms, and downloading only takes a few seconds. Moreover, you can import all your important deadlines into Notion, which will highlight the number of days you have left regarding the date you have chosen. Finally, it gives you reminders prior to the deadline so you do not forget.
Organization is a simple and initiative approach you can take to become a stronger student and establish a healthier mind. Ensure that you are utilizing sources that work for you and diminish the urge to overthink the quality of your strategies. If you feel comfortable and confident in your work, you are doing it right.