Organisation tips for students and anyone studying

When you finally join college you will have plenty of things to do. Keeping tabs on classes and schedules can be hectic.

What’s more, you may find yourself lacking time to just kick back and relax due to an overload of schoolwork.

All this can be overcome by simply staying organised. You will know what needs to be done and when it needs to be done. You will allocate enough time for study and assignments. This will also provide you with enough time for your extracurricular activities which helps prevent burnout and gets you ready for the next day.

What’s more, by staying organised, suddenly, school becomes fun.
Let’s take a look at some top tips on how to remain organised as a student.

1. Create a Schedule and Routine

One of the most effective ways to stay organised as a student is to create a routine and a schedule that you can follow. For instance, know when to get up and when to be in class.
Also, know when to study as well as when to revise what you have learned in the lectures. You may also need time to hit the gym. Put this in your schedule as well.

Note that you will not always be able to stick to your routine and schedule all the time. However in case, you notice that you are slowing down on your classes or studies, the schedule and routine will help you quickly get back to normal school routines.

2. Set Some Rules

Just like creating a schedule, rules help to keep you on track. Some highly effective rules include finishing assignments a couple of days before the due date.

You can also set a rule on when you need to start studying for your exams. By the day of the exam, you will be fully prepared.

3. Put Everything on Paper

Let’s face it, your mind is not a computer and you cannot remember all the rules, events, and meetings as well as the things that you will need to accomplish by the end of the day.

By writing everything down, you will remember what you need to do and when you need to do it. Try using a notebook or using a planner such as Google Keep to simplify the planning process.

Furthermore, sticky notes are great when you need to remember something that you don’t do every day. For instance, you might need to fill and send certain forms or you may have an important event at a later date.

Once you have written these on sticky notes, stick them on a prominent place such as your front door so you will always see them.

4. Set Your Own Deadline

The problem with working with the actual deadline is that when you hit a glitch in your schedule such as when you fall sick or experience a power outage, you are likely to miss it.

Instead set your own deadline a few days before the actual deadline. This will help you finish your studies on time even while you may run into a few distractions here and there.

5. Avoid Multi-Tasking

Many people regard multitasking as a good thing. However, multi-tasking produces less ideal results since your mind is focused on multiple things at the same time.

As a student, you are better off handling one thing at a time. You will give all your attention to a single goal helping you achieve much better results.

6. Make Use of a Planner

Creating a plan and a schedule is one thing, sticking to it a whole different matter. Once you have laid down all your events, study sessions, assignment times, etc., make sure that when you are in class, you have the planner right in front of you.

This allows you to see what you need to do. If say you were to keep your planner in your backpack, you are less likely to take it and adhere to it.

So always have it in front of you.

What’s more, since you will likely be allowed to use your laptop in class, you can use Google Calendar or Google Keep instead of using a hard copy planner.

7. It’s Important to Declutter

Clutter only attracts more clutter. It is important therefore to take time once a week to get rid of any brochures, notes, or papers that you do not need.

One of the great things about this exercise is that it also allows your mind to be less boggled up by excessive things that you do not need. You will be ready to work on your studies for the coming week as your mind will be focused.

8. The Accordion Folders

An accordion folder is a great way to organise your schoolwork. You can use different sections for different subjects.

It is a good idea to use the front section for assignments. That way in case you have pending assignments, you will be able to easily see.

9. Say No to Certain Distractions

To be a good student, you will need to devote the majority of your time to studying. This will mean avoiding distractions.

While you will need to have a time set aside for extracurricular activities, it’s important that you stick to your study plan and say no to random distractions.

The time that you have already set for yourself or other indulgences should be the only time that you use to do so. As for the schedule, it should be mainly filled with the most important things.

10. Divide and Conquer

Very often when students are faced with large tasks, they tend to procrastinate as the task seems daunting. However, one proven way of getting around this and completing huge tasks is to break them down into smaller tasks. Now they will seem less daunting and more manageable.

You will find it easier to work on a task each a day until the whole project is complete.