Tips and tricks to spice up your planner
By: Victoria Nicholson, Art Director
I used to think I was too organized to use a planner, but boy, was I wrong. Going into this semester with six classes I need some sense of control, especially since half of my classes are on campus and half of them are online. Being the couponer I was born to be I got a 2019-2020 planner due to the fact that it was marked 40% off. Since half of the book was dedicated to the 2019 semester, I decided to make the wise decision to rip those irrelavent pages out. Quickly, I realized I had ripped down to March 15th, 2020… which I should note is the beginning of spring break. So far my idea to have a planner and be put together isn’t going so well, especially considering I now have about 20 loose planner pages lodged into the middle of my book. If you’re like me, join in on this new experience as I learn the tips and tricks of maintaining an organized planner, well somewhat organized.
- Highlighters: If you’re a visual person like I am then color coordinating will work best for you. Begin by using a different color for each class, or if you’re like me and have online classes then use two different colors for your online work and the work you have in-class. Plus it will make it easier for your brain to automatically connects to which class things are due in.
- Weekly to-do lists: If your planner does not offer this option then draw it in yourself! Your planner doesn’t have to be strictly school related, so even jotting down simple tasks like going to the grocery store or paying your bills on time can be extremely beneficial. These lists will help you remember all of the tasks you need to do for the week.
- Follow your syllabus: Use sylly week to your advantage and take some time to write down all your due dates in one sitting. Allowing yourself some time to make note of due dates for all of your classes will help you in the future by already having all important dates laid out in front of you.
- Get into a routine: Whether you like to do your homework on the night it’s due or the week before, finding a routine that best fits you when it’s time to look at your planner is going to be helpful. I am not the best morning person, so the likeliness of me gazing at my planner when I wake up is low. Personally, I am a night owl so I plan on looking over my planner around dinner time daily.
- Time assignments: If you have multiple assignments due at once then include time frames you wish to work on each class. Consider which tasks will take more time and learn how to prioritize. Reading will generally take less time than writing an essay, so give yourself about 30 minutes to read (including the amount of time you’ll spend on your phone) and an hour to push out some parts of your essay.
