It's brightly colored Post-It notes and tab dividers in snazzy patterns and the shiniest aisle at Target—but it's also a one-way ticket to procrastinating on the stuff I actually need to get done. Slippery slope and all that.
Then again, though, there are still a few tips I try to stick with to make life easier on myself:
1. I plot out readings, assignment deadlines, and test dates for all my classes on one calendar. Sometimes the whole "out of sight, out of mind" thing tends to rear its head at me, but this way, I can avoid all that and know that no deadlines are going to sneak up on me. That said, one giant mass of due dates isn't always the clearest way to view my schedule, which leads to the next point.
2. At the beginning of each week, I look at the compiled calendar and break it down into an informal to-do list of things I need to get done each day. For one thing, let's be real—checking a task off a list can be weirdly satisfying, a tiny slice of therapeutic goodness. But this is also handy because it breaks the months and weeks into manageable chunks, and lets me see how I need to prioritize errands and assignments. Sometimes the things that feel really urgent can actually wait a day or two—and other times, by plotting out the to-do list, I realize I can be much more efficient by combining two tasks I might not otherwise have thought to tackle back-to-back.
3. Granted, this last one is probably pretty obvious, but I use a different folder for each class/project. There's basically no start-up effort required, but it pays off for the rest of the semester: scrambling to pack my bag for the right classes in the morning takes no time at all, and it's also easier to bring other-day assignments along to work on between classes.
Image Credit: To-Do List. Source: Pexels.
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