Get Organized! Student Success tips for staying on top of your schoolwork.

Why is organization important?

When you feel like you have too many assignments to keep up with, it starts becoming true. You find yourself cramming to meet deadlines or, worse, forgetting them altogether. And it's not long before your grades drop. The solution is to get organized. Organization immediately decreases stress, increases productivity, and inches you closer to your academic goals!

I'm in. How do I get organized?

Use a daily planner—an organizational tool that helps you keep track of important dates, assignments, quizzes, exams, and anything else you don't want to forget.

What type of planner should I use?

Most students go digital or paper. It's a matter of preference...sort of. If you use a paper planner but never check it or constantly forget it, face facts and switch to digital.

Let's take a closer look at each kind of planner!

Digital Planners

Great for students on the go! They're easy to use, accessible from any device, and equipped with reminders. Check out these tutorials on popular digital planners.

Microsoft To Do

Notion

Google Calendar

Paper Planner

A hands-on alternative to digital, paper planners have you physically write down tasks. They may not come with reminders, but the process of manually recording information enhances memory and cognitive engagement. Check out this video on how to incorporate a paper planner into your everyday routine!

This article by the College Consensus lays out some of the best planners for college students. You can also download a free daily planner here.

How to plan your assignments

  1. Pick a Planning Day: a weekly 30-minute block dedicated to planning your upcoming week.
  2. Find assignments: Go class by class, assignment by assignment, looking one to two weeks out at a time. For the most accurate information, check the course syllabus or course schedule.
  3. Plan assignments: There are three levels of assignment-planning: BASIC, INTERMEDIATE, and ADVANCED. We'll go over each one, but if this is your first time using a daily planner, start with basic and move toward Advanced when comfortable.

BASIC PLANNING

Not much to this one. Simply add each assignment to the day it's due, and you're done.

INTERMEDIATE PLANNING

If you have a window of time to complete an assignment, plan the best day to do it, considering your other academic, personal, and extracurricular activities and commitments.

For example, if you have from Monday to Saturday to complete a Sociology Discussion Post, you could plan to do it on Wednesday to leave your weekend open for some rest and relaxation!

ADVANCED PLANNING

It's like Intermediate Planning, but taken up a notch! Plan when you want to complete all Assignments + Supporting Tasks, like studying, reviewing, tutoring, and study groups. The harder the assignment, the more supporting tasks required.

Example 1: A simple Sociology Discussion Post does not require supporting tasks. Just plan to get it done.

Example 2: A tricky Biology Quiz might require two supporting tasks: (1) Read chapter 1 and make flashcards, and (2) Review flashcards. Plan the quiz and both supporting tasks.

Planning Tips

Color Code by class (Biology in red, Math in blue) or by assignment level (Exams in red, Quizzes in blue, all else in black). Get creative!

Cross off tasks as you complete them. It gives you a sense of accomplishment that keeps you coming back for more!

Avoid clutter. Don’t bunch up assignments on a given day, or you’ll feel overwhelmed and procrastinate. Spread out assignments for a balanced work week.

Abbreviate courses and assignments. Here are some common abbreviations:

We leave you with this...

Benjamin Franklin once said, "By failing to plan, you are preparing to fail." This rings truest in college, where you are constantly bombarded with assignments. Good organization & planning clears your head and frees up your mind for more focused activities, like learning.