Getting Organized in College

College can seem really overwhelming when your first get here. With so much going on between your classes and involvement, it is important to get organized as early as possible. 

 

      - Have a Planner 

My planner was my best friend my freshman year. If I were able to give only one piece of advice to you, it would be to get a planner! I recommend one in a bright color (mine is a Lilly Pulitzer in the Lulu print) because it makes a long to do list a bit more fun.

    - Write Everything Down

If you think you’ll just remember something, trust me, you won’t. With the amount of information you receive during college, it can be pretty hard to keep everything straight. Write EVERYTHING down! Whether it is a homework assignment, a meeting time, or just something your professor says that you think might be important, write it down. Your future self will thank you and you’ll be less likely to have something slip through the cracks.

     - Color Code

I already mentioned how great a planner is, but it can be even more useful with the help of four highlighters. In my planner, I would highlight assignments in orange, due dates in green, club events in yellow, and important things like tests in pink. This really helped me because I could look at the next day for anything green and easily tell if I had anything due. I used these same highlighters to highlight different information in notes. It made studying easier later on and equations easier to find.

Everyone has their own system for organization so try different things to find what works best for you! Good luck with your freshman year and welcome to Penn State!

Mikhala Stevens is a sophomore in Chemical Engineering, and she is a Rover for WEPO '14!