STAYING ORGANIZED!
It is now week two of your senior year! Do you already feel like you are swimming in assignments? Are you meeting your deadlines? You are just getting a taste of what your college/full-time work experience will be.
Learning to stay on top of homework in college (or tasks on the job), is often a challenge, even for conscientious students. You no longer have a mom or dad looking over your shoulder (or JMC) checking to make sure your assignments are complete on time. Your daily schedule is going to be erratic and unstructured, without the comforting daily routine you had in high school. Your professors will be too busy teaching hundreds or thousands of other students to care if you complete the coursework!
It is entirely up to you to keep your head above water. BUT HOW?
PLANNER
Failure to turn in work = a zero. How can you keep track of all your assignments and not miss a deadline???? Different methods work for different people - you will have to find one that works for you, such as:- "old school" paper planner/calendar
- apps on your phone
- Google calendar
When your professor hands you the course syllabus, immediately write down all important dates, such as mid-terms, final exams, assignment due dates, etc.
WALL CALENDAR
A huge paper wall calendar is a great visual - use a color coding method. For instance, all exams and big papers in red, assignments in blue, study groups in green, etc.
FOLDERS/BINDERS
Carry a backpack everywhere you go at college. Inside your backpack you should have a folder/3-ring binder for each class. Each class should have its own color. Put all handouts, diagrams, and assignment papers in the folders as you receive so they don't have a chance to "disappear."
YOUR ASSIGNMENT!
Create a new blog post and title it "Keeping Organized" and discuss the following:
- How do you keep track of your assignments this year?
- Is this method working for you? Why or why not?
- How do you think this system will work for you at college/work?
- Research and explore one app for your phone/tablet/computer that might work for you and report on its features.
- What advice do you have for peers & underclassmen (7th - 11th graders) about being organized?
