If you are a college student beginning school and you haven’t already learned how to use a college student planner then now is the time to learn. A planner is simply the best tool you can use to make your college career as successful as possible. Even the best student will eventually forget an assignment or test, or show up at school without an important project, but a planner can help you avoid that trap. Organizational skills are one of the most important things that you can take away from the college experience, and great organization will help you as you start your professional life as well.
The first thing you need to do is pick a college student planner that will work well for you. Think carefully about what type of information you need to keep yourself organized. You should look for a college student planner that is easy to carry- for example, one that fits into a designated pocket on your backpack or into a purse. Planners that feature locks are nice to look at, but these features become more of a hassle than they are worth. If you need a lot of space to store items, look for an oversized planner that includes pockets or allows you to place documents in the planner. To keep items in your planner together, you may want to pick one that has a zipper to hold everything inside in case you drop your planner. Remember to find a pen to go inside your planner- and keep the pen there so you can always write things down.
To get the most out of your planner, you need to start carrying it with you all of the time, and make writing in your planner a part of your daily routine. Check your planner when you first wake up, and about an hour before you go to bed to find out what you need to accomplish for the day. Each time your professor gives you an assignment or tells you the date of a test, write it in your planner as soon as possible- in fact, you shouldn’t leave the classroom until this information is complete. When you get home, it’s time to plan backwards. Look at the assignment or test, and mark important milestones leading up to that event in your planner- for example, a reminder to start researching an important paper or a date when you want to schedule a test study session.
Depending on how much help you need in staying organized, there are a few other tricks you can use. Write down each class you have, and assign a colored highlighter to that class. Then, highlight anything that pertains to a class in its designated color, or use sticky notes to tab pages that have important dates that you will need for that class. Be sure to put non-school events that will impact your schedule in your planner. If you are planning a date, want to go to a concert, or anything else, keep a note in your planner to help you figure out how to manage your time. The goal of your planner is to help you avoid all night study sessions or last minute panics over an imminent deadline. Using a college student planner can help you perform better at school as well as decreasing your stress level as you start your academic career.