It’s mid-term mayhem at University, where notes are scattered around and your organisation is slowly turning into chaos. But don’t stress! There’s always small, simple ways to get on top of your ever expanding work load.
Here are 10 ways that I find useful to keep organised through my studies, I hope you find them as useful as I do!
1. Be proactive and write down your deadline dates!
This method has proved a godsend whilst studying at university. One of the worst feelings you can experience at university is the dreaded essay deadline. If you’re a forgetful soul, why not write them down? This way, not only will you be reminding yourself of your upcoming deadlines, but this will relieve A LOT of stress. Get familiar with your deadline dates, and this will ease off the pressure leading up to them. Putting all your dates in one place will help to figure out the distance between each one which helps organise how much time you have between each because, let’s be honest, no one wants to be panic writing 3 essays in one week.
2. Weekly To-Do Lists
Every week, record the tasks you need to complete and the time you must complete them by. One way of doing this is on a whiteboard: write down each day of the week including your seminar prep and/or other commitments you have. The key to this is reminding yourself of what you must do and the timescale you have for this. But *although it can be difficult* stick to them!
3. Keep a Diary
Diaries always help with keeping on track. Jot down all your university events, birthdays, deadlines – diaries help organise your academic tasks such as your weekly university timetable, as well as your exciting social events. Keeping these things in the same place helps to prioritize events and keep track of what you’re doing on a day-to-day basis.
4. Sticky Notes
Small yet useful ways to remember crucial to-do’s. What’s great about sticky notes? You can literally use them for anything and anywhere! Place one above your desk, or even a sticky note to help with your shopping or budgeting.
5. Tidy your Work Space
Whether this is your bedroom or office, a tidy station means a happy mindset. Working in a messy and disordered space not only causes stress, but also completely destroys all of your hard work and organisation! I’m sure we’ve all had to search around the room for a piece of work or something important, so save the hassle and keep your station neat and a strictly stress free zone!
6. Set Smaller Goals
Assign yourself realistic goals to complete each week. But don’t overcomplicate yourself, start off small and build on them. For example, instead of telling yourself to ‘complete the essay by the end of the week’, why not say ‘I will write 200 words a day for my essay’. Doing this allows you to set little tasks and work towards your final goal, rather than jumping straight in at the deep end. Being able to complete 5 smaller tasks helps motivate you more than one big stressful one.
7. Sleep Well
Making sure you get a good night’s sleep is crucial to keeping yourself healthy and organised. Abusing your sleep cycles will leave you with a lack of concentration, so stay away from any caffeine cravings, get your zzz’s and wake up feeling fresh and motivated to tackle the day ahead. Remember – look after your body and your body will look after you.
8. Use folders
This doesn’t have to involve folders as such, but any type of filing system is always helpful. Loose sheets can be a nightmare! Especially when you’re coming to the end of your semester and deadlines are looming – you don’t want to be in a panic riddling through hundreds of worksheets. Also, why not use dividers to help section your university modules? Not only does this keep all your work in one place, but also helps with easy navigation. Trust me, you’ll be thanking yourself for doing this simple method at the end of the year.
9. Reward Yourself!
I don’t know about you but completing all your organisation duties definitely calls for a reward! Whether this is a day off at the end of the week, or a special treat (such as watching your favourite film or TV show), breaks and rewards not only helps to reduce stress and restart for the next week, but also rewarding yourself will help to continue your motivation for your next reward session! Self-motivation is what drives your organisation and success.
10. Panic less, Smile more! – Finally, keep calm and the rest will follow. :)