CollegeXpress student vlogger, Film student, and daily personal vlogger—if anyone knows how to organize and manage their time, it’s Jordan-Paige. It’s never easy for anyone, but it can be done. Watch her video below to hear how she deals with planning out her school assignments every day and getting everything done. You can also find her advice plus some extra tips from CollegeXpress after the video.
Create a to-do list and keep an agenda (1:16)
Make to-do lists for your assignment! Break down big projects into small tasks, and it will make managing your time a lot easier. Bring a notebook to class and jot down things you need to remember or want to get done that day. You might also want to keep a separate planner to write down your assignments for class over the long term. This will help organize your thoughts and prioritize homework and daily life.
Related: 5 Easy Ways to Get Organized in College
Don’t procrastinate (1:42)
When you’re given an assignment, you should start it that same day if you have free time. If you can do it now, do it; that way it will be done and out of the way. This will also give you more free time to do what you want to do and finish other assignments. You may think you’ll have time in the future to do the assignment, but what if something comes up and you can’t? You don’t want to risk it until the last minute.
Keep the balance (2:57)
Use your free time for work and rest. If you have a few hours to kill, split your time. Try getting that assignment done before giving yourself time to relax. There’s no harm in starting early; when you feel like you can’t work anymore, take a break. Watch an episode of Netflix, take a nap, or hang out with friends. Then come back to the assignment with a fresh perspective.
Write down assignments and due dates (3:19)
Don’t assume you’ll remember every assignment—you don’t want to risk forgetting that something was due. Write down the assignment and put the date next to it so you can lay out what is due and when. Make sure to organize and prioritize by the closest due date so you're focusing on those assignments first.
Related: Video: Better Time Management for High School Students
Take a few minutes to get organized (3:53)
Before starting your work, take 10–30 minutes to organize yourself and your assignments. You don’t want to be scrambling to find your notes. Organizing under stress is no organization at all. Get comfortable, find all your materials, then start studying. It doesn’t have to be the “typical” organized; if it’s organized for you and you can find all your classwork and resources, that’s what is important.
Use a binder or file folder (4:25)
Separate out your documents like your notes, assignments, handouts, etc with something like a file folder or a binder. This will make it easier to find what you’re looking for and keep everything where it’s supposed to be. This will also ensure your backpack or school bag isn't a mess too, and you'll be ready to hand in those assignments come class time.
Related: The Secrets to Straight A's and Keeping (Most of) Your Sanity
Stick with it and avoid distractions (5:10)
Once you take a look at what you need to do and have prioritized your tasks, start working and stick with it! It's so easy to get distracted by your phone and the endless scrolling social media provides. If you're worried about your phone or any other devices drawing your attention away, put them somewhere else. Turn on do not disturb or power them down and put them in another room where you won't even see it to be tempted by it.
Make time for yourself (5:54)
If you're burnt out and super stress, you won't be doing your best work, so making time for yourself is essential. You know the true difference of when you want a break vs. when you need a break. So if you need it, like we said before, take a break. The same goes for if you're just tired! You shouldn't be sacrificing your sleep for more work because good sleep is a crucial element to doing your best.
Related: Feeling Burnt Out? 5 Steps to Get Back on Track
Being organized is great, and it will help, but keep the balance and don’t let yourself get stressed about all your assignments. Get a good night’s sleep, take care of yourself, make sure you get the work done, and don’t be afraid to get work done early. Figure out what you need to do, create a schedule stick with it, and don’t let yourself get distracted.
Since you have extra time now that you're so organized, why don't you use it to find scholarships on CollegeXpress and lessen the financial load of college a bit.
