Welcome to November! Halloween has passed, which means Thanksgiving and finals will be quickly approaching. In order for me to stay organized, I have to have a planner. I use it to keep track of absolutely anything and everything. My planner is always in my school bag, if nothing else. The month of November and beginning of December are so busy for us college students that it is often difficult to remember everything that needs to be done. If you use a planner, you know how convenient it is to have all of your thoughts written down in one place. If you do not have a planner, give one a shot! You may really find one useful, especially in college.
How Do I Use My Planner?
You can find a planner almost anywhere. If you want a simple one, check out the dollar store. If you want a larger one with more options, then browse Target, Staples, or any office supply store. If you tend to be a more busy person, then definitely get a planner with a lot of space to be able to write everything out, which is what I do. When I first buy my new planner for the year, I also purchase colored pens to write with in the planner. This is not a necessary step, just a fun one. I will then take my planner and fill out the easy dates, such as family and friends' birthdays, anniversaries, etc., and any important dates that pertain to you personally.
Now is the part that takes a little more time, and the colored pens also help in this step. I take each syllabus from all of my classes and insert all the test dates and when homework and projects are due. This is a longer process, but it is extremely helpful with staying on track with classes or even getting ahead if you have time. Instead of having multiple syllabi to keep track of, all of your important dates can be stored in one single book in order of their due dates. The colored pens are helpful here because you can choose to designate a certain color to a class to help you stay even more organized. I try to do this step but sometimes I have to write something in quickly and do not have time to pick what pen I am using. Your planner does not have to be perfect, but keep it as organized as you can for your own convenience.
On top of physically inserting dates into my planner, I like to print out the Cabrini University Academic Calendar. After I print it, I tape it into the cover page of the inside of the planner. This helps me to have all of Cabrini’s important dates in front of me to look at whenever I may need to. I love having the academic calendar handy because it reminds me when to register for classes, graduation, and it shows all the dates classes are not being held that semester.
Lastly, if you love organization like me, you most likely already do this step. It is a great feeling to make a list in your planner of what needs to be completed and then checking it off as you complete the tasks. It is a good way to feel successful that you were able to complete your tasks on time and then you cross it out knowing that it's over and done with.
I hope that you were able to take away a few helpful tips from this week's blog! Happy November and have a great weekend everyone. Thank you for reading!