Every college semester, we’re required to take 4 courses, which might not seem a lot compared to taking up to 7 courses in high school. However, the workload for each course is much more intense as each course only lasts a semester, and students are required to finish learning a whole textbook of material or read multiple books. So, staying organized in terms of studying is more important than ever in college. Because I’m a student-athlete who is involved with multiple student organizations and has a part-time job, I have found that staying organized is an essential part of managing time and energy in college. Here are some tips for staying on top of work at college that has worked for me:
1. Keeping an updated Google Calendar and using a planner
While some people prefer using Notion as a calendar and a place to store class notes and assignments, I prefer using Google Calendar to keep track of meetings, practice schedules, and classes. I set the option for the calendar app to send me notifications thirty minutes before meetings so I never miss them. In addition, I have a physical planner that I use to keep track of upcoming assignments and deadlines. Both of these tools have been helpful, especially because I don’t have the best memory and can often forget assignments if I don’t write them down. Sometimes, if the due date is for an important assignment, I also add it to my Google Calendar.
2. Get work done ahead of time
I usually try to complete work as soon as it’s assigned, mainly so I have plenty of time to revise my work. Also, teachers share their syllabus at the beginning of the school year, and it sometimes contains the schedule of assignments and midterms for the entire year, which is helpful in figuring out which weeks might be busier than others. This is especially helpful around midterm seasons because not every class has a midterm at the same time during midterm seasons. With essays, I tend to try to get them done at least a week before the deadline so I can visit the writing center and work with a writing associate to sharpen it up before doing final revisions.
3. Know your limits and get enough sleep
At Amherst, there are always a ton of really cool events hosted by different student organizations, and it’s tempting to go to all of them. It’s even more tempting to want to constantly be around friends since at college, they’re all basically your neighbors. But it’s really important to remember to set aside time for yourself. Even on days that I study with friends or hang out watching movies with them, I also keep track of time so I know when I should get back to my dorm so I can get enough sleep. It’s common knowledge that sleep is important, and in college, it’s more important than ever to get enough sleep to have the energy to get through classes and everything that comes after.