By: Neval Mulaomerovic
To many, the start of a new school year is a time to reinvent yourself or to fall back into old habits. “This is the year I’ll finally get my act together” is what we all say because we trust that it will be true for once, though we know the cycle of procrastination and clutter all too well. There is still hope, however, as there are more options now than ever before on how to stay on top of your work.
Here are some ways to take charge of the year by staying organized:
1. The Planner.
This is the most basic item that students will purchase while back-to-school shopping on a whim, use twice, and then throw away. If this is going to be your go-to notebook on organizing your life, you have to think deeper than whether or not you like the color on the front cover. Lined or blank slots? Spiral or bound? I personally recommend the Day Designer because it fits any student need, from to-do lists to hour-by-hour scheduling.
2. The Bullet Journal.
This is essentially an artsy planner where your pile of Mildliners and Muji pens finally come in handy. Perfect for the artsy student, a bullet journal allows your creativity to take charge as the structure and style is entirely up to you. This is especially helpful because different days have different needs, so you can design your bullet journal accordingly instead of being forced to follow the preset structure of a purchased planner.
3. Notion.
For those who like the aesthetic but not the time-consuming nature of the bullet journal, Notion is the perfect option. This application, available on iOS and Android allows you to create your own pages for different areas of your life. You can create individual sections for homework, college applications, and extracurriculars using templates with to-do lists, calendars, and goal trackers. This way, you get the customization and personal design all from the convenience of a computer.
4. Getplan.co.
If you feel that planners and virtual bullet journals are too much work, this website is the easiest option, but can do so much for your organization. Ever seen the “mental breakdown from 3:00-5:00” meme? That’s essentially how this site works. Create different color coded tabs with different labels (school work, internship, clubs) and arrange your tasks on an hourly schedule. It’s easy to lose track of time and allow a 30 minute task to become a 2 hour problem, but this site requires minimal effort and allows you to effectively visualize your day.
The most important thing to remember is that different people have different needs, and there is the perfect organizational strategy out there for all of us. If writing reminders on the back of your hand works best for you, then more power to you.