Are you having trouble keeping track of due dates, assignments, and class notes? Read on for my top college organization tips that I used throughout college to get a 4.0.
Making sure all your college assignments, tests dates, papers, and everything else is organized can be a difficult task. You might finish an assignment then completely forget where that assignment ended up on your computer. Maybe you downloaded your class syllabus onto your computer 85 times because you forgot where you put it (I definitely have done this).
It’s a lot to juggle, trust me I know!!! I’ve taken a countless number of classes across all different subjects; English, biology, chemistry, psychology, etc. I’ve changed my study and organizing techniques over the last 4 years, and through those years I’ve found an easy and effective way to organize all my classes.
I’m sharing my simple college organization tips with you, because I want you to be successful in your college classes too. You may need to tweak some my tips to fit your learning needs, but I truly believe that these tips can help you effectively organize your college classes. Below are the ways that worked for me to stay organized throughout college!
Use Desktop Folders
Before the start of every school year I like to make a folder for each one my classes and put in on the left side of my computer desktop, so it looks like this…
So now that you have the folders, what do you put inside of them? The first thing I put in them is the class syllabus. Download your syllabus onto your computer and put it right into your desktop folder designated for that class. This way you won’t be downloading your syllabus and class schedule 100000X on your computer! Whenever you need to refer to the syllabus, it’s right there for you.
Keep your assignments that need to be done next to the folder on your desktop. Once you are done with the assignment, put it into your folder. This way you can clearly see what needs to be done and what is finished for each class. These class folders have helped me and many of my friends easily organize our college classes.
Use Microsoft OneNote
I love using Microsoft OneNote for my classes. It is so much easier than taking notes on a word document because on OneNote you can start typing anywhere on the page, easily draw next to your words, and insert pictures/graphs wherever you need. You can make notebooks for each class and easily access all your notes in one place.
Another tip for using one-note is having a notebook only for your “To Do’s”. On this notebook, I keep a list of all my classes and all my assignments that are due within that month, I write the assignment and the due date. Here is an example of what the “To Do” page would look like.
I like to highlight the assignments that need to be done within the next week to quickly prioritize them. Once I am done with the assignment, I either check it off, or completely erase it from the list. This to do list has helped me keep track of my assignments and has allowed me to turn everything in on time!
Use google calendars or mac calendar
I have used a paper planner before, but I’ve found that the combination of my to do list on Microsoft OneNote and an online calendar has made it so much easier to keep track of dates and assignments than a paper planner. When a professor is quickly going overdue dates for assignments or tests, it’s hard to quickly find your paper planner in your backpack, flip to the correct page, and write everything down.
I just open one-drive, put it on my to do list, then later when I have time, I put it into my google calendar.
It’s good to have assignment and test dates/deadlines written in two places because you are much less likely to forget an assignment. Hence, why you should use BOTH a calendar and a one-note to do list to keep track of assignments! In the calendar I also put club meeting dates, birthdays, or anything else important that I need to remember. Here’s an example of what my calendar would look like…
These are the top three ways that I have kept all my class assignments and due dates organized. They are very simple tips but have been super effective in keeping my life together! Try it out and see if it works for you.
Good luck! You can ace your classes I believe in you!