<p>I have just realized I am pretty bad when it comes to staying organized. Some times I will forget to do short assignments because I figure I don't have to write it down because I will remember it! But of course once in a while I do not remember. Last semester I bought a planner but I just couldn't stand to use it. I honestly felt like I didn't know how to use it lol. I also tried downloading apps on my iPad and phone but I haven't had any luck with any of them. Does anyone have any tips on staying organized?</p>
<p>It’s just not in your nature, neither mine. I do most of my organization in my head and that still doesn’t generally work. A few things I’ve found to be effective though – at the end of each day, make a list of everything you need to do for class and put on one of those sticky note things that you have on your desktop. That way whenever you open your computer you have those staring you down. It might work, might not, worth a shot. </p>
<p>I like to keep a small notebook where I write down what I need to do for each class for the week. It feels less constricting than a planner, which I also had trouble using. I also love Google calendar to keep track of my life in general. I put everything I have to do each day in the calendar, no matter how small it is. I don’t mean assignments, but classes and such. This helps because then you can see when you have time to study. Writing things down really is the key to staying organized, and you can also use Google calendar to put in big deadlines for papers, exams, etc. for the entire semester as soon as you get all of your syllabi. When my classmates were surprised by an upcoming test, I had already started studying because I saw it in my calendar way in advance. Plus Google calendar is compatible across all of my devices, so I always have access to it. Other than those two things, having a place on your desk that is a designated spot for “things that need to get done” is helpful as well. I would take out all the books and folders I needed to accomplish my work for the week and leave them on the side of my desk, and as I completed the task I would put the books and folders away. This serves as a physical reminder of what you need to get done, and when the stack is gone, your work is done! Hope this helped!</p>
<p>I finally got my self together after last semester! I felt like k was looking my mind as I was also starting off an intake process for a sorority which required 5 library hours and involvement in 2 student orgs, student government, and I had to attend all of their events and we had a weekly meeting on top of working 15+ hours weekly. What I found worked for me was a lot of repetitiveness. </p>
<p>I had a planner that I carried with me everywhere!! I wrote things down there, then when I made it to my room I wrote it in a desk calendar AND a dry erase calendar I had up on the wall. For meetings I always set an alarm on my phone. As the semester continued I slowly needed less and less things to keep me organized. I was not a fan of my planner but I found one that I LOVE and now its my lifeline, its a mead one with a calendar before each month and lots of writing space for me. </p>
<p>As far as my room went I kept all of my books on my desk, I had a notebook for each class and I had a MW folder and a TR folder and I used one pocket for each subject (I took 5 classes So I had I extra folder and no Friday classes). At the beginning of the semester I hilighted important information from my syllabus and pinned it to my wall next to my desk and made sure to look at it at least once a week. </p>
<p>Be sure to download your school app and BB learn if your school is connected to BlackBoard thus process is all trial and error, my best goes out to you! </p>
<p>I keep everything tracked on my iPhone in my notes app. Works like a charm!</p>
<p>I had a planner but I kept it in my room as a reference. At the beginning of the semester I would pencil in important test dates, essay due dates, etc., and I also used it to write in appointments and events from my email. Every once in a while, when I felt like I had nothing to do (which usually meant I forgot something), I would check the planner to see what I was forgetting or what I could be working on. You could also use a calendar, since I think it’s best to use the monthly pages vs. the weekly/daily pages. </p>
<p>At the end of each day, I would replay classes in my head and try to remember what was assigned that day to write on sticky notes which I then posted onto my desk. That way, I would have a running list of small things I needed to do. Usually the assignments were routine, like journals twice a week for a literature class or online homework once a week for math, which made it easier to keep track of. </p>
<p>Also, I would write small assignments or notes to myself in the header of my class notes because if it’s not one of the routine assignments, I’ll probably forget it. Things like “exam review 5:00 pm in LIB 220” or “discussion online due Wed,” etc.</p>
<p>Even then I still checked my syllabuses religiously because I never remembered things like readings, which I always figured I’d remember but were too much of a hassle to put in the planner, haha.</p>
<p>I use a thin 3" x 4" composition notebook. I always have it easily accessible, like in the pocket of my binder, or when not using a binder I take it out and keep it on my desk because in most of my classes homework is mentioned really fast in the begging of class before quickly moving onto something else, or as soon as class is over. Some of my professors like to give us more homework or tips for the homework in the middle of lecture too. I find if I have my notebook always easily accessible than I’m more likely to write things down, even if I think I’ll remember them.</p>
<p>After I’m done with an assignment or when a test is over I put an X through it. When one page is full of X’s, both front and back, then I rip it out. One thing I hated about planners was always having to flip through the pages to find the right date. When I just list things in the tiny notebook then I usually only have to flip 1-3 pages if I keep up on my Xing and ripping.</p>