Many of us probably started off the term with “This term I am going to stay on top of my school work.” Now, we’re three and half weeks into the term; is it starting to look like things are not going the right way? There are definitely many factors that affect the situation, including motivation, organization, and time management, so you might want to ask yourself the big ol’ why. If organization happens to be your answer, then here are some tips to help!

Google Calendar (free)

I used to be skeptical about using anything but Google Search and wondered if someone is spying on me every minute. Nevertheless, I gave it a shot and now I don’t seem to be able to organize my time without Google Cal. You can create multiple calendars and share them with others. Most importantly, you are able to sync the calendars with your laptop app (like iCal) or your phone. I hardly ever use the web-based calendar, instead I add/edit events offline on my phone and laptop. I personally use a paper agenda as well, but nothing beats the convenience of pulling out your phone (which is something you will always have with you) and immediately knowing your schedule for the day. Tip: you can download your class schedule from the SSC in a format that can automatically be imported to Google Cal!

Paper Agenda

I personally find it very useful to keep a paper agenda, especially for the monthly calendar. The purpose kind of conflicts with keeping a Google Cal, but I use my paper agenda more for big, full-day or even longer events. Because Google Cal has my class schedule and other meetings, the monthly view is extremely cluttered. So having a paper agenda with only major events and commitments in the monthly calendar helps me better schedule those. This is also where I keep track of my assignments.

Wunderlist (free app)

This is a to-do list app that allows you to create sub-lists and share lists with other people. One of the coolest features of this app is that you can delegate tasks. For example, if you are the leader of a project and have a whole list of to-dos that is shared with your team, you can specify who is assigned to what task on the list in this app! You can also sync this app among all your devices.

Reading List (DIY)

I don’t remember when was the last time I kept up with my readings, but that’s what I wanted to do this term and actually followed through with it. I created a list of weekly readings based on my course syllabus. If my professor intends to cover chapter 3 next week, then I made sure to list chapter 3 as a reading for this week. This has helped me stay not on top, but ahead, of my courses. This list is on the wall right above my desk, so I have to look at it everyday!

Weekly Study Schedule (DIY)

I happen to have a lot of weekly tasks and assignments this term. In order to remember to do them and stay on top of my readings, I came up with a study schedule based on my class time and other commitments. I have a list of tasks like read for course ABC, class prep for course DEF, for each day of the week. It seems like the work is never ending, but it is completely manageable. The key is to be realistic based on your schedule, which means if you have 3-4 hours of class, you want to schedule around 2-3 hours of work so that you still have time for other things or to chill!

-Anthea