Staying organized in the face of finals, research papers, internship apps, and the closing of the year, is so essential to success. I hate to admit it, but around this time of year, I get so overwhelmed that I often end up skipping meals, showers and reaching the brink of losing my mind. Freshman year was especially harsh, coming from a high school where the workload was much easier, and finals week was treated as basically a week for class parties and potlucks. How I managed to stay on top of finals week while remaining sane, really came down to organization, and managing my time and mental health well enough to achieve piece of mind.
My main problem was that I used to get so overwhelmed with all of the things I had to complete, that I would just end up sitting on my bed, head in hands, hyperventilating and psyching myself out. My tactic had been to write down all of my important information on post it notes, my to-do lists, passwords, due dates and grocery lists; you name it, I guarantee it was on a post it note. The problem with this method of “organization” is that post-it notes are incredibly small and therefore, easy to lose, especially when spread around my dorm room. By the end of the year, I was scrambling to find that one folded purple post-it that I swore had been stuck behind my mirror for two months, but was now missing? Needless to say, my “ingenious organizational system” needed a makeover….
It wasn’t until I searched on Google for help, that I found the answer to my organizational prayers. The blog for college students called, The Young Hopeful, helped me figure out how to stay organized, by using tips from other college students going through the same stresses of the college journey. On this blog, other college students write articles and design “printables”, which are basically charts and spreadsheets, made simple, straightforward and cute, to keep you organized. The best part is that this entire offer is free! I sound like a walking ad, but really, these free printables and articles helped me re-organize my life during freshman year, and since then, I have relied on this site for any and all organizational help and overall, motivation. My personal favorite articles and printables for organization is the “Due Date Spreadsheet by Michelle Adams” and “The Assignment Calendar by Dani Dearest”. These charts are simplistic, yet extremely useful in simplifying my crazy, disorganized brain on a single sheet of paper.
These organizational helpers became extremely useful around the time of finals, when my brain was so jumbled and panicked by all the things I had to do. It helped exponentially to have a mapped out calendar with due dates to physically touch and look at, and of course, it always felt great to cross out and check off boxes when I finished a task or assignment. Some of the printables address self-care and how to fit that into your hectic schedule, which benefited me greatly when I was struggling with my mental health amidst finals of freshman year. If you prefer online spreadsheets, https://www.wunderlist.com, is a great resource that links up to your laptop and phone with a to-do list you create yourself.
Another reason why I find this blog to be extremely helpful is because of the variety of printables and guides offered. There are the finical workbooks, which are simple sheets made to help you organize your finances and budget your life as a college student. As well as a wonderful guide on interviewing, which has some of the best pointers and questions I’ve seen on the multitude (and by multitude, I literally mean hundreds) of articles and websites I’ve visited and read for pointers on interviewing.
Overall, even though I often find these sort of college blogs to be cheesy and sometimes even demeaning towards women (for example take http://everycollegegirl.com, why is “cooking” a tab and not “careers”, this is NOT the 1950’s!), this blog was very useful in helping me find my way towards success through top-notch organization and planning ahead.