Hello All!
I just finished my first semester of college (woohoo!), and
I think it was a pretty successful semester overall.
I ran a ridiculous schedule (although I have a classmate who
ran a more intense schedule than I did) this semester. I took 14 units and
worked 24 hours. I commute between 30 minutes and 1.5 hours to school (only once
did it take me 2.5 hours, and that was due to rain) two or three days a week.
Sometimes I wonder how I kept my schedule straight. I was
only late to class three times this semester (all due to traffic). I was late
to work twice (overslept). But overall, I managed to keep tabs on all the
places I had to be and when.
And homework? Yeah, I managed to stay on top of that too. I
only almost missed a couple assignments.
Today I’m going to share two simple systems I used to help
keep myself on track each week (and each day) and make sure I knew where I had
to be and what homework was due.
Planner
This seems obvious. Everyone says it.
GET A PLANNER!
I use a weekly planner to keep track of
class schedules, shifts at work, and appointments. On Saturday or Sunday night
I sit down and enter everything I have on the schedule for the week into my
planner. Here are a couple of pictures of my planner from throughout the semester…
One of the best things I did was assign a
different color highlighter for each type of event on my calendar. Pink for
work, green for school, yellow for everything else. This helped to be able to
glance at the schedule and see easily what I had going on that week.
This helped me get a handle on what I had
going on each week before the week began. It also gave me time to sit down and
plan when I would get homework done.
I will 100% keep using my planner next semester!
But, if you have any ideas for making a more efficient or organized process, I
will take suggestions!
Homework Notes
I don’t know what else to call these.
At the beginning of the semester I used a sticky
note for each class. I would sit down after class and write all my homework
assignments for the week on the sticky note, along with due dates.
But…the sticky notes kept falling off the spot
above my desk where I placed them. So I came up with a new solution.
Enter the amazing invention of sticky chalkboard
squares and chalk markers! I keep track of homework assignments by writing them
on the chalkboard squares, and when I complete them I can just erase it with a
little bit of water on a paper towel. It worked really well! Here is a picture
of them in use…
These are two systems that helped me greatly with keeping myself
on track this semester. What I want to do next semester is figure out a system
for those times when I sit down and study to keep myself on track and be
productive (If you have any suggestions along these lines, I’ll gladly listen!)
Happy Holidays! Try to take time to rest up and enjoy some
family time before school starts up again in January!
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