Ways I Stayed Organized My Freshman Year of College

As I was talking to my friends dad last night about my first year at college, he was surprised when I said that I thoroughly enjoyed it.  I can honestly say I am so happy about where I chose to go to school, and believe that it was the best fit for me.  I believe that my organization had a lot to do with my happiness, even though obviously the people, classes, activities, and other aspects helped as well.  I think one of my best qualities is my ability to be organized, and it's something that brings order to my life when I remain organized.  I thought because of this that I would share a few of the ways that I stayed organized my freshman year of college!  Enjoy!

1. Use an agenda.  I promise that your planner/agenda will become your best friend, and it was something I always had with me, whether it was in my purse or in my book bag! I've always been big on using a planner, because writing things down help me to remember it more than just jotting it down in my phone.  One of the ways that motivated me to use it more was to personalize it!

2. Make a To Do list, every day.  On my desk in my dorm room I had a note pad that I would write down all the things I needed to accomplish the next day and either put it in my planner, or kept it on my desk, depending on what I was doing that day.  This really helped to visualize how much I needed to finish and what had priority over what.

3. Use different colors!  Whether it was in my notes or my planner, my notebooks and agenda were filled with different colors and different highlighters.  Using different colors stimulates your brain to pay attention and focus more clearly on what is written if it is written in something other than black pen or pencil.

  

4. Get your work done first, so you can have fun later.  Something that really helped me this year was putting in the time to get my work done so that I could do fun things with my friends.  One of the awesome things about college is getting to go out during the week, but if I was going to go out, I had to make sure I finished everything on my to do list. 

5. Read your Emails! Set up your email on your phone/tablet/computer so that you get notifications when you receive an email.  I cannot even explain how helpful this is because teachers are constantly sending out emails about class cancellations, homework assignments, or dates for different assignments.

6. Balance your extra curricular activities.  Whether it be a sorority or a sport, balancing those things and making sure that one is not affecting the other is so important in college.  Making sure you have your work done and planning your time accordingly is so important (this is where that agenda comes in handy). 

7. Always make time for naps.  Yes, this actually did help me stay organized.  College can be overwhelming and stressful at times, so if you have time, take a quick nap to recharge your body so that you can accomplish more later!

8. Keep your room organized!  I was lucky enough this year to have roommates who cared about cleanliness as much as I do.  If your things are cleaned up and organized, chances are you will feel more organized just because of it, because I don't know about you, but it stresses me out when my room is messy!

Those are the main ways that I stayed organized my freshman year of college!  Hopefully some of these helped, and inspired you to try some of them if you haven't already.  Thanks for reading.

-Lex

Things I Learned My Freshman Year of College

I just finished my freshman year of college, and it was definitely a year of growth, learning, and changes.  From living on your own, doing your own laundry, and taking care of yourself when you get sick, to nights of studying, hanging out, or going out with your friends, freshman year is definitely a time to figure out what you are all about and what you like to do.  There are some specific things I learned these past nine months that I want to share with all of you.

1. You have freedom to make your own choices:  I moved into my dorm three days early as part of the welcoming team to help people move in, and because of that, we had a ton of free time to do whatever.  I remember feeling like there was always somewhere I needed to be and it took a few weeks to realize that there was no one telling me where I had to be and when.
2. Freedom will be taken away from you when you go home:  When I come home for breaks, nothing changes.  My curfew is still the same, and I always have to tell my parents where I am, where I am going, who I am with, and when I will be home.
3.  Take Advantage of The City Around Your College Town: it's so fun to be able to be a part of a college town and experience the campus, but a huge benefit is going to school in the city, so take advantage of it and get out of your college town and explore the city nearest to you!
4. If Possible, Don't Take Friday Classes-Or Schedule Them Late: One of the most fun parts of college is having the freedom to go out during the school week.  When you look back at your college experience, you won't remember the nights you stayed in and studied, but you will remember the nights that you went out and had a good time with your friends.
5.  Get a Fake ID:  Honestly, you never know when you will need it and it's definitely worth the money.
6.  Who You Were in High School Does Not Matter:  People in high school spend way too much time trying to fit in with the "in crowd", when in reality, none of that matters once you leave your high school for the last time and all of your classmates go separate ways.  You will make new, good friends who will stand by you through anything.
7.  The Later It Gets, The Better Food Tastes:  This is a given, if you don't eat late at night, you're doing it wrong.
8. Some Things Will Take Priority Over Other Things:  Eating and napping will become more important than say...showering.
9. You Think You Know how to Operate a Microwave, but sometimes...: 
   
    
10. You Will Get Stressed, It's ok. You Will Be Fine.
    
    College is what you make it, so wherever you are, make the most of it and have the best time because college is the time to make mistakes and have the time to learn from them.