How I Study... in an Organized Way

I'm super crazy about organization. I'm no where near OCD, but anyone who knows me knows that I'm all about things being in order. Perfect example: my closet is organized by type of clothing and then organized by color. I like to know where something is when I go looking for it, but I'll put that in another post. Today I'm going to explain how I study and get homework done in an organized way.

I'll go through this step by step.

• Syllabi

Let's start with the syllabi. No disrespect to my professors, but it's quite rare that I get a syllabus that I actually like. I normally have to retype them in a way that's clear, easy to follow, and organized for me personally. This semester I was given a syllabus that was a jumble and super confusing, so I just retyped them like this: I organized them by units, and put each assignment and due date under the given unit. Plain, simple, and extremely easy to follow. 

Once an assignment, test, or reading has been finished, I highlight it so I know that it's done and I don't need to worry about it anymore. I DO NOT HIGHLIGHT UNTIL THE ASSIGNMENT HAS BEEN SUBMITTED. It's really easy to forget or get confused if you get ahead of yourself, so be cautious with that.

• Planner 

My planner is my sidekick during the semester. I write absolutely anything and everything in it and it's super helpful when I'm trying to keep track of everything. 

Lilly Pulitzer Planner in Skip On It - $26

My planner, much like everything else in my life, is color coordinated. Blue ink if homework assignments, purple is my work schedule, green is "miscellaneous" (things I do in my own time, like concerts, lunch dates, trips home, etc.), and pink is for exams. Once something that's been written has been done, I highlight (just like my syllabi) to mark it's completion.

Moving On......

Here's how I get my weekly assignments organized so I can do them:

I like lists. Shopping lists, to do lists, any kind of list, I like it. I make two different lists before I begin my assignments for the week, and they are all, I bet you could guess it, COLOR COORDINATED.

 

I pick a color for each subject, and make a list on a piece of notebook paper, the Stickies on my laptop, and organize my syllabi with the corresponding color flag tags. I arrange the subjects in chronological order for when the assignments are due. As you can see above, my bio assignments are due the 22nd, and everything else is due the 24th, so I'll obviously get my bio done first. 

I've got to stop writing this post and get back to making a dent in my massive pile of work due at the end of this week! I hope this helps someone other than me! 

My Introduction

I've never been good with introducing myself. Whether it's in class, at a job interview, or to people in general, I always find myself struggling to think of the perfect way to explain who I am, or as it is in most cases, "what" I am.

That being said, I guess I'll give it the good old fashioned college try:

I'm silly and immature. I swear I'm a kid at heart due to my love of coloring, animated anything, and pillow forts. I love to laugh, and even though I pretend that I am, I know I'm really not that funny.

Dancing and singing outrageously in my car is a favorite pastime of mine, and although I laugh when I see others doing it while I'm driving, my car is my personal club and I take my time there quite seriously. Anyone who has ever driven with me for any extended amount of time knows this, and they've learned to accept it for what it is.

Sports are my life. I always preach not to get too emotionally invested in something that you have absolutely no control over, but I can't take my own advice when it comes to football, baseball, basketball, hockey... pretty much any athletic competition, actually. Sports are something that I understand, love, and find great comfort in, regardless of my team's record or standing. Through the wins and the losses, I love my boys and that won't ever change.

I'm emotional and I fight hard, but love so much harder. I have a fierce temper, but it's more than difficult to make me as mad as I can be. I fight for things I firmly believe in, and although I'm stubborn, if you try hard enough, it IS possible for me to change my mind. That being said, if you find yourself in my good graces, you will receive love and friendship like you could only imagine. Although I have my selfish moments, I like to think that I'm mostly a selfless person and I put my family and friends before myself on a daily basis. I love to know that I'm loved, and I want everyone who is important to me to know exactly how much they mean to me at every moment. Life is too short to do anything else.

I'm ambitious and I work hard when I know what I want, which, unfortunately, isn't that often. I'm indecisive, but that's due to my strong desire to make the people I love happy.


WELP. That probably wasn't exactly what you were expecting as an introduction. It wasn't the typical, "Hello, my name is....", but I'm not anywhere close to a cookie cutter person, as anyone who has spent time with me could tell you.