Why Is it Important to Be Organized in College?

College life is a fast-paced world in which it is required to become involved in the educational process and keep up with demands. Yet, this can become difficult when papers, books, schedules and daily life become cluttered. Organization, therefore, is a key factor to student survival and success in college.

Importance of Organizing Schedules

Students in a higher education environment are required to attend meetings, seminars, labs and classes. Most students also become involved in a number of activities or participate in special events on campus. Therefore, college students find that keeping an organized schedule of events is needed in order to be capable of taking part in learning and other campus activities.

• For example, students can organize their schedules and events by:
  • Writing key events in a calendar, which can be either digital or printed
  • Setting reminders about daily tasks, classes or events happening each day
  • Keeping a printed or photo copy of a class schedule to stay on track for classes. - This print should include dates and times of the classes each day of the week for best organization!
  • Making sure that key events of importance do not overlap in your schedule. - By writing all daily events, tasks, or meetings down in an organized manner, one can see if events overlap and make decisions on which to attend.

Without keeping a schedule in a note or date book it becomes difficult to recall every meeting time and date, and fulfilling obligations can become an impossible feat.

Importance of Organizing Class Information

There are many methods that are important for keeping track of notes and work in college.

• Many college students organize class information by:
  • Keeping separate folders, or folder compartments in an organizer, for each class of their schedule for important papers, assignments, notes.
  • Creating a list of notes for what each class needs weekly or what each class needs for long-term assignments.
  • Having separate notebooks, or notes sections, for each class. - This helps each class have its own section of notes and information to return to in one collective place.

College professors encourage taking notes during lectures and while learning the processes for assignments in class settings. Many students will also find that not only are there daily assignments to complete, but generally, students have long-term projects that are required to be worked on throughout a semester.

Therefore, maintaining specific course binders or folders per subject allows you to keep current with your workload and have critical references handy when required.

Importance of Organizing Books

Unlike a high school student, college students are required to purchase their textbooks for classes. You will find that the cost of these textbooks is quite high, making them valuable to you beyond just the information that they provide. Some instructors, in fact, will not allow you to attend a course without having your textbook present.

• College students can organize their books by:
  • Keeping a pile of textbooks for classes away and separate from other personal books. - This will set them apart in a collection of books, and they will be easier to access when needed for class.
  • Placing the textbooks for each class by the other items needed for that class. - By keeping all of the materials for each class together like this, a college student will have a better time finding everything needed for that classes assignments and lectures.
  • Creating a pile of textbooks and materials for the classes in the school day to ensure all needed materials are gathered before gathering other items needed for class. - Students could make this pile of books and materials before the start of their classes during the day, or they could make this pile at the end of their day of class to prepare for their next day of classes.

Therefore, having your books organized where you can easily locate them for class or study is essential during your college career.

Importance of Organizing Your Priorities

Social interaction, parties and play are a part of college life. For some students, college is the first opportunity they have to spread their wings of freedom and be away from parental supervision. However, the sense of adventure that comes with freedom is also the cause of many students experiencing failing grades and losing their academic standing in college.

• Many college students organize priorities by:
  • Creating a complete list of tasks, meetings, classes, and events for their day. - By creating a complete list, a student is able to see what all they need to attend for their day.
  • Determining what task, event, class, or meeting to make a priority over the others in your college life. - By ranking what is most important, a college student can determine what to focus their importance on in priorities, and this allows college students to set boundaries to their actions when needed.
  • Knowing when to say "no" to something. - With all of the possible activities and priorities addressed in college student life, it may be easier for a college student to know when to say "no" to events, activities or meetings when they feel overwhelmed or have other important tasks to complete.

Consequently, you must be capable of organizing or setting your priorities while a college student so that you do not lose track of the primary reason you are in school -- to get an education.

Importance of Organizing Work and School

Holding a job outside of school is a necessity for many seeking a college degree. Therefore, organizing college activities and materials is needed to be successful, but a college student must also organize work schedules and time in order to achieve goals.

This can be accomplished before you enter an institution of higher learning, in many cases, by determining the hours that you will need to work in order to pay your expenses and then determining what classes are available to you outside of your work schedule.

• College students can organize work and school life in many ways. For example:
  • Determining what to make a priority between work and school. - For many students, work is essential for living and attending costly college courses, but for others, school may be a solo priority to focus on while in college.\
  • Keeping track of courses and grades to stay on task. - Students could get lost in the work-school balance, so they should consider their grades and standings in their classes when looking into work and other activities outside of school.
  • Creating a clear daily schedule of college classes and assignments as well as work shifts and needed events.

These tips are essential to overall organization, however, be sure to leave enough time to study, relax and sleep.