Learning Commons Blog: How Not to Lose Your Mind: Scheduling for Dummies (And Smarties...)

By Arabella Chamberlain

As I look at my daily planner, I look a bit like this as I try to calculate the number of hours I can study, eat, sleep, and breathe, all while acing all my classes, participating in 50 clubs, and curing cancer in my free time.

College is crazy busy. I spend half my time just trying to remember what class I'm supposed to be in, when that meeting was I had to go to, and what assignments I had due. It can be overwhelming the sheer number of clubs and organizations on campus as well. So how do you do it? How do you maintain your sanity when all you feel like doing is taking a nap?

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The most important way to keep cool with a busy schedule is don't take on too much in the first place. At the start of the year, there's a flurry of clubs and organizations trying to recruit you to join this club, be an exec in that club, come to this event - everyone wants a piece of you. It's hard to say no when everyone's offering free snacks and pizza, yet somehow, you have to find balance for yourself. Maybe right now you think you can handle it all, but what happens when there's a setback?

It's only the first week and yet, professors are already bombarding us with assignments. In order to make this semester a little easier on yourself, we need to get ahead of the game. Fast. So let's get organized.

One of the biggest obstacles standing between students and success is organization. In a study done in 2008, researchers found that disorganized students were more likely to struggle in their classes, turn in late assignments, and feel dispassionate towards their education. Getting organized benefits more than just your sanity, it can benefit your grades.

It can be daunting to try and clean up your life, especially when you've gotten used to your comfy clutter, but here's some tips:

find your balance - Make a list of all the stuff you do regularly. What are your commitments and things you need to prioritize? Figure out what really matters to you and make that what you strive to accomplish. Know what you need to get done.
keep track - And keep on track. I know it can be hard to find time to scribble out all the things you need to do, but it doesn't hurt to scribble down reminders about important things every once in a while. If you really want to get organized, pick up a cheap weekly planner or, being a broke college student, download a To Do list app or utilize Google Calendar.
schedule, schedule, schedule - Did I mention how important it is to schedule things? If something is super important, cannot be missed, high priority - why wouldn't you schedule it or make a reminder? When things seem a little intense, sit down and decide when and how long you're going to work on this or that. Be productive by working on chunks of your to do list. Don't forget to schedule breaks, too. Don't burn yourself out.
when in doubt, cut it out - If you think taking on something new might be too much, or your current commitments are overwhelming, it's okay to cut it out. Is an officer position in a club too much for your already hectic schedule? Let the club know and see if they can find a new officer. You should never feel like you're letting someone down by admitting you're doing too much, remember that. Anyone that makes you feel otherwise is just jealous they can't juggle as much as you already do.

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Honestly, there's so much more you can do to get organized; this is just scratching the surface. But for now, hopefully that gives you a good head start. Try to start reorganizing before the semester gets overwhelming, get some baby steps in the right direction so you can make this your best semester yet. Don't forget, the Obama's believe in you.