Transitioning from high school to college, I made a promise to myself that I would "try harder," whatever that meant. I soon taught myself new habits that have led me to better results and organization since high school. People have often come up to me and asked why I am not always on the verge of pulling my hair out, and maintaining good grades, all while being involved in too many things. I have created this post to answer that question! This is for anyone looking for better organization, scheduling, and for those of you who don't understand why all nighters and cramming never works yet continue to do it anyways. It is important that you know I included in the title "perfectionist", because some of these may be a bit excessive, but being someone who likes to be as on top of everything as possible, this is just what works for me. I will say, being a perfectionist can be exhausting sometimes because even when I am ahead on my reading, I still feel like I'm behind. The stress of being a perfectionist is worth it though, because it pays off in the end, whereas just stress in general from not being on top of my tasks doesn't always have a happy ending.
1. Lists
Ironically, this whole blog post, and all of my blog posts, are lists. I honestly love to make lists about all things. I make lists about lists that I want to make...I'll let you think on that, a bit of inception. The feeling of checking something off a list is rewarding, and holds me accountable since I don't like leaving things unfinished. All things must get checked off! My most common list that I make is of assignments I have arranged by due date and importance. I put the assignments that are due sooner, and take less time to complete, at the top. For some people, lists freak them out because it reminds them of how much they have to do, but for me, it gives me insight into what my day/rest of the week entails. I like to visually see what I need to do rather than try to remember it. A long list excites me rather than intimidates me because I always like to be in the mindset of working towards something, rather than dreading everything I have to do. The walls of my room always has a running list of assignments, as well as a separate list for extracurricular and meeting dates for the week. I make a new list for my assignments and meetings every single week just for the visual sense of planning out my week! Some other lists I make are the classic shopping list, songs to add on Spotify, a list of things I need to remember, workout lists, and a list of blog ideas! A perfectionist just really loves lists. And for the record, whenever I cross off a huge task on my list, I use a sharpie, not a pen, because its much more permanent and scribble over the task until it can't be seen. Take that you 15 page research paper! Exciting right? Like I have said in the past, it is the little things that bring me the most joy in life.
2. Giant desk calendar
Not a lot of people do this, but this is something that helps me so much. Just like my lists, I like to visually see what I have planned for the next week/month. While I do have a planner, I don't use it as much as my desk calendar because honestly I am too lazy to physically pull it out of my backpack, turn the pages to find the right day, and try to read my tiny writing. With my calendar, it is always sitting there, and I can write as big as I want. It really is my greatest tool for staying on top of everything because I write all assignment due dates, sorority events, holidays, extracurriculars, and special events on it. Being able to see what days have more events and what ones are free days allows me to plan out the best days and times to get homework done (and actually have a social life, I have one of those I promise). Since it is always sitting on my desk, and that is where I do my homework, I am forced to stare at it, so I really never forget when I have something due, or the fact that I have to drive home for my annual orthodontist appointment that takes 5 minutes at the end of the month. It is also helpful for any notes I need to take down, phone numbers, dates, etc..it's essentially scratch paper, and is the equivalent to writing on a napkin when you need to write something down real fast, or something to doodle on when you are awkwardly on the phone with someone. One habit I have gotten into is writing down my favorite verse, Philippians 4:13, in big letters at the top of each month because everyone needs a little pick me up on those Terrible Tuesdays. And lastly, it absorbs the coffee when you accidentally spill it all over your desk!
3. Reminder App
This one is also I heavily rely on for things I need to remember later in the day, week, or even long term. I use this for literally everything, and probably would have missed so many things if I did not use it. I know myself well enough to know when I am probably going to forget something, so I will set a reminder to alert me 10 minutes before. For example, if I set up a meeting with my advisor for later in the day, it is highly likely that I will forget I did that due to the fact that I have so much going on. (I set it to remind me 10 minutes before the event because I figured that's enough time for me to sprint across campus if I truly did forget). I've even gone to the extremes of setting a reminder to grab something from a drawer before I left my room in the morning, and most people could remember something 2 minutes before leaving to go somewhere, but in college your mind is already juggling so many things, it is easy to forget that you need to grab your laptop charger before rushing to class. And yes, I did forget to grab that one thing from my drawer within 2 minutes of setting it, hence why I used the app! Temporary short term memory loss is nothing to be ashamed of! I use reminders for everything from school, extracurriculars, appointments, etc. I set a weekly reminder to water my dorm plant every Monday, daily reminders to take my medications, assignment due dates, events for the day, and if I need to send out a package or card in the mail. I even currently have one set to alert me in October where I hid my mom's birthday gift because I already know I'm going to forget the hiding spot by the time it rolls around. It is nice to be able to type in something, and have my phone remember it for me. One less thing that I need to have on my mind! Lastly, it is fun to steal a friend or family member's phone, type in a nice message, and set it to pop up randomly during their day to remind them how awesome they are. It's the little things :)
4. Google Calendar
I always am an advocate for Apple, but one thing my brother got me hooked on is Google Calendar. When using this in combination with the reminder app, I guarantee that you will not forget anything or double book yourself ever again. Google calendar is great for scheduling, looking at things long term that may be too far away to put into my reminder app, and for when I am not at school to access my desk calendar. Since Gustavus gives us student gmails, my classes for the semester automatically show up on my calendar in their own color as seen above. This is very helpful when I am trying to set up times for appointments during the year because my class schedule is right there, all the way until the end of the semester with school breaks included. Another feature I love about GC, is the fact that you can add other people's calendars to yours. This is so helpful for sorority, because just like my school schedule shows up, adding the Tri Sigma calendar to mine automatically shows all the sorority events, and dates for things I need to be at, in its own color. Being able to see everything in different colors is another small thing that is very helpful. Just today, I scheduled my dentist appointment for mid February, put it in my calendar, and cleared it out of my mind because it is now in my calendar, therefore, I don't have to remember.
5. Colored Pens
To all the guys out there that think girls use different colored pens just because it makes our planners/notes pretty; you are wrong...for the most part. Just as I mentioned above that putting things in different colors is helpful because it creates differentiation, that goes the same for colored pens. While it does naturally make my notes, desk calendar, and planner prettier, it serves a purpose! I assign each color to something different. For example, when taking notes, my black pen is for headers, blue pen is for main body notes, and my red pen is for subheadings, or important things to remember. In regards to my desk calendar, my red marker is for assignment due dates, purple marker is for anything sorority related, green marker is for my extracurriculars such as meetings, and my peach marker is for anything related to my family and friends such as birthdays. Lastly, when using my planner, I designate a color to each class. This system may seem like too much work, or not helpful, but for others, it can be a lifesaver if you're a visual person! I have noticed that I am more organized, and better at managing my time when everything is in different colors because it all blends together if it is in boring black. Guys, don't be afraid of a little color!
6. Sticky Notes
I love to use sticky notes to stay organized because they are inescapable. It may seem ironic that the fact I have sticky notes scattered all over my walls, desk, laptop, folders, and textbooks keeps me organized, but having those little squares everywhere I look keeps me in line. I use them to make lists of assignments, but a majority of them are used in my notebooks and textbooks to divide my notes up by topic. In psychology, there are a lot of different topics, and labeling them with a post it allows me to flip to that section so much faster than if I had to search for it by flipping through my months of notes. Of course I use a different color for the different topics as well! Under each topic I write the main takeaways from the section to jog my memory, that way, I don't have to read the whole thing over again just to find out what it was. Every second counts when you are studying, and each second I am not flipping pages trying to find something us another second of sleep I get! The nice thing about sticky notes is that you can write anything you want, and put them anywhere you want. I even have sticky notes up around my room with bible verses, quotes, and little doodles from my friends. Sticky notes have come a long way from the bland yellow color, to my personal favorite, the cupcake sticky notes :)
7. Cornell Notes
Now that I have talked about my time management tactics, I will move on to my study habits that I swear by! I've come to realize that a select few know about Cornell Notes. I was introduced to this style in 6th grade by my history teacher. He said that it would help us someday when we were older, yet every time he forced us to take notes like this, we all dreaded it, and never stuck with the concept. When I made the promise to make a change going to college, this is when I dusted off the old Cornell Notes style again. I wish I had stuck with it in 6th grade because I think I would have understood history better! This style of notes basically allows you to take notes, all while creating a quiz for your future self at the same time. While it may be more work in the moment, it makes it easier on yourself in the long run. The page is divided up into three sections. A vertical line runs down the left hand margin, and about 2/3 down the page, a horizontal line is drawn. The left hand margin is used to create questions involving the topic/heading so you can quiz yourself about the notes taken. The horizontal line creates a space at the bottom of the page for writing a summary of what the notes were about that day (this is done after class). This leaves a large space for the body of the notes. Being able to go back closer to the test date and ask yourself the questions created in the left hand margin, is an awesome way to test if you know the information, and if you don't yet, the summary at the bottom of the page is a great reminder. The way I see it, notes are never fun to take, but taking quality notes the first time saves a lot of brain power in the future!
8. Write, don't type
Here's a mini psychology lesson for you. Studies show that those who write their notes retain the information better than if they type them. Good thing that I prefer writing mine anyways! Growing up, my dad always told me and my brother that when it comes to school, don't try to save paper. I kid you not, in the span of time before exam day, I write my notes over 3 times because I really do retain it so much better. At this point it has become a kind of superstitious thing because ever since I have started writing my notes more than just one time, I have gotten better test scores. Why test the waters if something already works for you? Just like Cornell Notes, the reason that writing my notes works better than anything else is because it is INTERACTIVE! I use writing my notes in combination with my colored pens because that is how I remember things the best. When I am taking a test, sometimes I recall the information solely because I remember writing it in green, or due to the fact that my handwriting was terrible when writing down the concept during my third set of notes. Something about flipping through my notebook, and being able to write down my questions, notes, and answers to the questions from my Cornell notes is so much more satisfying while studying than staring at a screen. The key to this concept is to be as interactive as possible. Ask yourself questions while you read, write down the answers, think of a cheesy way to remember a concept, but please, for me, don't just read your textbook again, or "look over your notes." We all know that you are probably just thinking about what's for dinner or how the cute guy/girl in the library is sitting two desks down from you.
9. Study early
This is another thing that teachers always told me growing up, but I never believed them. To me, studying early was two days before the test rather than one. But now, I start studying two weeks before the test, this way, I never have to stay up late or wake up early. College students need their sleep, too! One of the things that helped me the most, was learning what studying actually was. Think about it, what even is the act of studying? Teachers always told us to do it, but never told us HOW to study. Studying for me used to mean sitting down and reading the whole textbook again, which is why I dreaded studying early in the first place. The whole "studying=read the entire book" idea is the mistake most people have been making since middle school. When studying early, the most important thing to realize is that you actually shouldn't look over everything at once. The best way to study early is by looking over a section, chapter or concept everyday, not everything. This way, it jogs your memory, and you can pay more attention to that one concept. In class, I will think back to what we talked about the week before, and if I can't remember, that is the concept I go back and study for the day (my post it notes allow me to easily find the concept, too!) I keep this pattern until I am confident about all the concepts, and usually, two weeks is just the right amount of time to cover all the material for the upcoming test. Don't be afraid or dread going back to past material, it is amazing how fast we forget things we just learn! Make small investments of time so that you earn it all back in the end.
10. Flashcards
I am ending with the method I live by. To those of you who know me well, or are friends with me on Snapchat, you know how important my flashcards are to me. I love flashcards so much because:
1. They make me write everything down again from my notes which helps me retain the information, as well as forcing me to look at my notes again.
2. They are a short term quiz because of the concept on the front and the definition or explanation on the back.
3. They are a long term quiz because once you have made that set of flashcards, you can keep them to quiz yourself for finals at the end of the semester.
4. They are portable and can be done anywhere! Flashcards are effective because they are a model of learning from your mistakes. If you don't get the answer right on the back, your brain soon remembers that, and remembers the right answer next time. Flashcards also make studying early a lot easier, because they don't require a ton of effort to do. Often times, if I get to class 5 minutes early, I will pull out my flashcards and go through a round. Now as I mentioned above, those who know me well, or are friends with me on snapchat, know that I have the tradition of "biking my way to an A." This is something I started doing my freshman year. I sit on the exercise bike, and flip through my flashcards the night before my test, again, it has become a superstition. Every time I do this, I will take a picture of my flashcards while on the bike, and add it to my story saying "biking my way to an A." So far, every time I have! I think I've got a couple of my friends hooked on it now, too. So why did I start this phenomenon? Because I was trying to manage my time so I could work out AND study AND get to sleep at a decent time. (I also started it because it distracted me from the fact that my legs were burning from the exercise). I like to joke that this is what a student athlete looks like. Lastly, the day of the test, I will look at the front of the card containing the concept, and instead of thinking of the right answer or definition in my head, I will flip the card over and write down the answer instead. It really is just another method of quizzing myself because that way I can look at what answer was already previously on the card and see if I got it right/missed anything. Excessive? Maybe. Effective? Always.
So there you have it! I go to some great lengths and superstitions to be successful, but that is what I have found works the best for me, and it may work for you! If you are looking to change things up a bit, adopt as many of these tactics to see if they work for you, and tweak them to make them fit into your comfort zone. It can be hard to change things up or even know where to start, so I am hoping this is a guide in helping you get there or think of new ideas. Contact me for any questions! But for now, have a great start to the school year!
~Lauren