It’s back-to-school season, and many first years will be getting ready for their first term at university. If you are one of these first years, then this article is for you! It will give you some ideas about staying organised throughout your first semester, although the skills you learn here can really help with organising anytime!
– Have a place where all of your books and supplies go when they are not in use (this spot should be separate from where things go after they’re done being used)
– Make sure that your backpack and locker have enough space – chances are, if they don’t, then it might make it harder to get stuff out when you need something. Also, think about just how much time each day you will spend at school and if the time spent to get things out of your locker will be worth it.
– Find a way to organise your things that is easy for you. For example, perhaps by colour or using different folders so that all of your homework is in one place, and then first aid supplies are in another folder. Just make sure that this system is easy for you to use!
– Make sure that you have a plan to get from first thing in the morning until night on your first day of class. Are there buses going straight to your first class? If not, will you be able to walk there? This is important because if booking takes too long every day, you might start missing first things!
– We highly suggest creating the first-semester to-do list! This is to keep track of first things and check them off as you do them.
– Find a way to deal with stress. This might be meditation, breathing exercises, yoga, or any other pressure-reducing technique that you can find online!
– If you get something new, like a binder with dividers or more sticky notes – chances are that they’ll come in handy later on, even if it doesn’t seem likely now. Also, instead of buying new pencils every semester, buy them beforehand; they might break anyway during the first term (and there’s no guarantee that you’ll be able to find a store that sells the same brand!).
Figure out the first term schedule as soon as you can. Most first-year students don’t know their first-semester schedule until maybe a month or two before classes start (if not later). That’s a long time to wait! It would be best to try to get your first term schedule as early on in the summer of the first year as you can, and then actually practise walking between your classes by using Google maps or an online campus map. This will really help you when it comes time for the first day of class!
If you are in the first year and want to plan, check out the university website for things like; clubs, events that might be happening during your first term/year, looking up professors names and office hours, etc.
Also, ask around first – chances are your friends, roommate, or floormates have already been through the first term and know what worked during the first semester!
Lastly, remember that first terms tend to be the most difficult – but don’t get discouraged if things aren’t going quite right for you at first! Give it some time, and good luck with your first term at university.
If this all seems a little overwhelming, then first remember that most people overthink organising and managing their study time and supplies.
It’s easy to stay organised and even more so if you find a system that works for you. Also, keep in mind that all first-years go through this, so don’t let it stress or worry you – it’ll be okay.
Good luck to everyone! And remember, organising doesn’t have to be hard! Just get all of your stuff ready in advance because the first terms will go by quickly.
