3 Ways I Organize Myself for the Semester
One thing I have always prided myself on is my organizational skills. I even won an award for it in elementary school—not that I’m trying to brag or anything. Thankfully, my organizational skills have come in handy since then, especially in my university years. As a third-year Creative Industries student who also works part-time, I have never needed to be as organized as I am now. There are three ways I organize myself in preparation for the semester, and for anyone looking for just how to prepare themselves for a semester of school, this is how I do it.
1. For the Whole Semester: Bullet Journal Spreads
I have been a bullet journal aficionado ever since I tried it out when I was in high school. I like that it helps keep me organized and I have a really fun time putting the spreads together. At the beginning of every semester, I like to make one page that has all my assignment due dates. I love having one page where I can see all my assignments and when they’re due. It helps me to plan out when I should start on my assignments and prepare for any busy periods.
Here are my due date pages for Fall 2021 and Winter 2022. Having them all in one place helps me keep track of all my assignments.
I also like to make another page that is a visual representation of my weekly school schedule. This helps me to keep track of my lectures, professors and what I have to do to prepare for class each week.
Here is a visual representation of my Winter 2022 semester.
2. For the Week-to-Week: Weekly Planner
Although you can definitely use a bullet journal for weekly planning, I started using a planner because I found one with cute dogs on the cover and motivational quotes on each page. It was really difficult to not buy it when I saw it at the store. Before the start of each week, I fill out my weekly planner with my lectures, work meetings, dinner plans, due dates and anything else I have to keep track of. I also have a space to write out daily to-do tasks, which helps me make sure every small thing I have to do gets completed. Basically, if it’s not written in this planner, it doesn’t get done.
As you can see, I write almost every little thing in my weekly planner and use it every single day.
3. For Every Day: Google Calendar
As a university student, Google Calendar will be your best friend! Your class schedule is automatically loaded into your school Google Calendar and they’ll let you know when you’re supposed to be in class. It’s so easy to add any other commitments such as work, group meetings and other events into your calendar, and have your whole schedule at your fingertips. I have the app on my phone, and even though I have my bullet journal and weekly planner, having a digital record of my schedule and due dates when I’m on the go always comes in handy.
Being organized in university is truly a key to success for me. I need to make sure that I’m on top of all of my lectures, schoolwork and other commitments. I suggest trying any of the above strategies to keep yourself organized during school. When the time comes to transition to university, our university’s Student Life and Learning Support will be there, ready to help you.
