By: Kayla Olson <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Early alarms, packed schedules, and the pressure of finding your rhythm again can make the first few weeks of classes feel overwhelming. That stress often grows when you don\u2019t yet have a set routine or an organized system to rely on. If you\u2019re anything like me, even the idea of getting organized can feel stressful\u2014but I\u2019ve learned that organization isn\u2019t about being perfect. It\u2019s about creating systems that make things easier to find, manage, and start. Below are a few simple tips to help you get back on track and feel ready to take on the semester. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Clean up your space!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Believe it or not, decluttering your space does far more than simply moving things around. If you\u2019re struggling to stay focused in your room or workspace, this is an excellent place to start. When life feels chaotic and overwhelming, the last thing you want is for your environment to reflect that same mess. Developing the habit of keeping your space clean can help you feel more in control, boost motivation, and reduce unnecessary mental clutter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Always make a to-do list <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Before going to bed each night, one habit I\u2019ve built is writing out my tasks and agenda for the next day. This can be done on paper, digitally, on a whiteboard\u2014anywhere you know you\u2019ll remember to check. One of the benefits of staying organized is that there\u2019s no single \u201cright\u201d way to do it. What works well for one person may not work for another, which is why it\u2019s important to tailor your system to fit your own needs. As a student, it\u2019s easy to feel overwhelmed by schedules, coursework, internships, and life in general. Creating a to-do list helps me avoid feeling blindsided in the morning and gives me a clearer sense of what I need to accomplish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Using a planner <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Students are often responsible for juggling multiple commitments at once, which makes it easy to forget what needs to get done. If you\u2019re forgetful like me, investing in a planner can be a game changer. Whether digital or on paper, having a reliable place to track assignments and daily tasks helps keep everything in one spot. This makes it easier to stay organized, avoid missed deadlines, and stay ahead of your workload.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I personally love using a free online organizer called Notion. It has been my go-to tool for a while and consistently helps me stay motivated and on top of my assignments. One of the best parts is how customizable it is, being able to personalize it to match your aesthetic and preferences, which makes staying organized feel more enjoyable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Set reminders to start tasks, not just finish them<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Seeing a reminder for an assignment due in two days can be stressful, especially if you haven\u2019t started it yet. Instead of only setting reminders for deadlines, creating reminders to begin an assignment encourages early action, reduces last-minute pressure, and can make large tasks feel more manageable. Starting sooner gives you time to plan, revise, and work with less stress, leading to better organization and a calmer mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now that you know some of my favorite and most effective ways to stay organized, there is no better time to start practicing these habits than at the beginning of the semester! Building strong organizational routines early will set you up for long term success throughout the school year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By: Kayla Olson Early alarms, packed schedules, and the pressure of finding your rhythm again can make the first few weeks of classes feel overwhelming. That stress often grows when you don\u2019t yet have a set routine or an organized… Continue Reading →<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18001,"featured_media":9874,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_s2mail":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1068026,1068032,1068033],"tags":[1096,221797,420,424,499,285],"class_list":["post-9873","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-freshmen","category-self-care-wellness","category-student-resources","tag-college","tag-organize","tag-uc","tag-university-center","tag-uww","tag-whitewater"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uww.edu\/ucinfo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9873","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uww.edu\/ucinfo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uww.edu\/ucinfo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uww.edu\/ucinfo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/18001"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uww.edu\/ucinfo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9873"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uww.edu\/ucinfo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9873\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9875,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uww.edu\/ucinfo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9873\/revisions\/9875"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uww.edu\/ucinfo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9874"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uww.edu\/ucinfo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9873"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uww.edu\/ucinfo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9873"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.uww.edu\/ucinfo\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9873"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}