1. Be motivated!
2. Keep a planner, or a planner app.
3. Use only one planner.
4. Keep that planned with you AT ALL TIMES!
5. Stick to your plans. Have a rule: if you write it down, get it done
6. Plan at the beginning of every week or month.
7. Use the days-before-it’s-due system. I learned this trick over at Organize My College Life. 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’t ever be surprised by an essay that’s due tomorrow.
8. Schedule chores.
9. Save all your syllabi.
10. Annotate your syllabi
11. Make an assignment list. Gather all your syllabi together and make one long sheet of every day that an assignment is due.
12. Keep to-do lists.
13. Wake up at the same time every day.
14. Make your bed when you get up.
15. Have a consistent schedule.
16. Figure out your most productive time.
17. Stock your backpack. 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’re ready to go!
18. Plan your outfit ahead of time. I go to bed with a vague idea of what I’ll wear the next day
19. Clean-desk policy. At the end of every night, try to have a clear desk, with just your computer, lamp, or books on it, and no clutter.
20. Clean-floor policy.
21. Spend 5 minutes a day cleaning.
22. Have a system for taking notes.
23. Don’t question and don’t stop yourself while writing.
24. Use a timer. Work in bursts of time. Some people swear by 25 minutes; using a timer will keep you accountable and prevent you from wandering over to Facebook or Pinterest while you should be working.
25. Work and play in different areas. Work at a desk or in a library, and reserve your room or bed for hanging out and sleep.
26. Use the 8/8/8 method for balancing your life. Try to sleep for eight hours a day, spend eight working, and eight hours for the rest of your life – time with friends, eating, etc.
27. Set your own deadlines. 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’s 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 actual due dates come around.
28. Make yourself a schedule.
29. Set up email filters.
30. Use SelfControl, or actual self-control, to limit time spent on websites. This app keeps you from accessing websites like Facebook, Tumblr, or Twitter when you should be working. It is free and highly customizable – you can block any website you like.
31. Back up your computer.
32. Disconnect from the internet for a few hours a day. Unplugging is a healthy way to curb stress and keep yourself from wasting too much time on the internet.
33. Give each class a color. 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.
34. Keep binders, folders, and/or notebooks for each of your classes.
35. Have system for organizing your binders.
36. “If you take it out, put it back” rule. This is the easiest way to keep a desk clear.
37. Toss duplicates. You don’t need two staplers, or three rolls of tape. Give one away put it in storage for when your first one breaks or runs out.
38. Keep any “might needs” in your desk drawer, rather than on your desktop.
39. Label loose cords. Use masking tape to label your cords with words like “camera,” “iPhone,” etc. This will help you identify them after you forget what they’re for.
40. Label your chargers ends with the same washi tape.
41. Use a binder clip at the edge of your desk to store your charger ends.
42. Keep a white board with reminders to yourself.
43. Sleep 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.
44. Meditation/yoga/mindfulness/prayer. Mental health is so incredibly important, not just for being organized, but for being a balanced and happy person. Take care of yourself!
45. Go easy on yourself. 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 trying.
