How to Stay Organized in University

When starting your university experience, your organizational routine may need some adjusting. You might be taking less classes than in high school, but you’ll have more readings and weekly assignments, longer essays to write and maybe even a part-time job to spend time at. As a fourth-year student, here are some organizational tips that I have picked up along the way, and ones that I plan to keep in my routine even after I graduate!

I keep track of all of my tasks, whether for student group work, my job or my course load, and I highly suggest you do the same. On my computer’s homescreen, I use the Stickies feature to maintain a weekly checklist. These are great because you can separate your tasks for each activity or class with different sticky notes. You can also do this in a notebook, planner or an Excel sheet, but I like that it shows up as soon as I open my computer. I also keep track of all of my assignments for the semester in an Excel sheet. I colour-coordinate the assignments by class, and then sort the data by date so it shows in order of due dates. On this sheet, I also keep track of how much the assignments are worth and add a column for checkboxes so I can note when I’ve completed one.

We’re so lucky that our university offers Google Suite products for free, and they’re great tools to keep organized as a student. My favourite application is Google Calendar. It auto-populates your courses into your schedule, you can schedule group project meetings in there and you can even add a Google Meet link to your calls with a click of a button. I also populate my calendar with all of my appointments and work times so that I can check what I have to be ready for in the morning. 

Google Drive is also a great app. You can create folders for each class and write and store all of your assignments in one place. This really helps me clear up my digital clutter. With Google Docs, Slides and Sheets, you can even collaborate with other students and professors, making group assignments easier to stay on top of.

After finalizing my schedule each semester, I always sit down and take time to set days of the week for personal tasks. If I have a day or two off, I know that I’ll have time for longer chores such as laundry or cleaning my apartment. I’ll assign those chores to specific days of the week and maintain that routine. I’m the type of person that needs routine to stay organized and focused, so having chores planned in advance helps me stay motivated to actually get them done.

While I like to be as organized as possible, I also know that not everything is set in stone. Sometimes, an unexpected event or task will come up and you’ll have to reorganize a couple of things. That’s okay! Don’t beat yourself up if you don’t complete your to-do list every day and have to push a couple of things forward by a day or two. By allowing yourself some flexibility, you’ll be able to reduce some stress and maintain balance.