Being organized in college is a lot easier said than done. Between early morning 8 a.m. classes, deadlines, and staying on track with homework it can become overwhelming if you’re not organized. I am going to explain some of my favorite ways on how to get organized and stay organized.

First things first, you’re going to need a planner! Planners are a great way to lay out ideas and visualize what your week has lined up for you. Make your tasks easy to read and ordering them as a check-list. If you want to stay organized, plan your month out throughout the planner. If you know the events or appointments lined up throughout the month, jot them down in your planner so you can visualize your time. Using as few words as possible, yet still understanding your tasks is key. More words will just overwhelm you and who wants that? Not me! Once you complete a task check it off or cross it out and you’ll begin to feel more organized just by using a planner.

Another great tip to stay organized is utilizing free time. This tip isn’t as exciting as a planner, but you’ll be thankful you managed your time wisely! Think about this: you spend an hour every morning you wake up on social media. That’s five hours spent on social media during the school week. Those five hours could be used completing homework, writing that paper you’ve procrastinated on (we’re all guilty, don’t worry), or studying a class that’s a little more challenging. Social media is fine to use when all of your priorities for the day are completed. Something I try and do is save any social media for downtime after dinner. I also keep all of my social media apps on the third page of my phone so it isn’t easily accessible when I’m on it.

Having a hard time getting motivated? Try writing down positive affirmations and reading them to yourself! An affirmation can be as simple as writing, “Believe in yourself and get your first task done.” Once you feel accomplished, it becomes a domino effect and you want to keep up on the productive work! An affirmation I tell myself is, “Why wait to do it tomorrow when you have time to do it today?” The more you learn about the type of person you are will depend on what affirmations you decide to follow and stand by.

Another tip to get organized is to start by deep cleaning your room or living space. This is something you may not realize is important at first, but the psychological reasoning of it makes total sense. If your room is clean and organized, chances are you will become organized. For me, I am way more productive when I clean my entire room and light a candle before sitting down to do any school assignments. Aromatherapy diffusers also work, and now it’s easier than ever to find essential oils that can keep you calm, relaxed, and help you focus. From my experience, when I complete assignments in this setting, I actually receive better grades! Not only will my grades improve, but my room is cleaned and I automatically feel a lot better about myself.

Using a planner, waking up earlier, positive affirmations, and cleaning up your living space are some of the best ways I believe will help someone get organized and stay organized. Every person is different, and not everyone will want to use a planner, or clean their rooms. In today’s society, the most rapidly growing trend is the use of our cell phones. Did you know that our cell phones can do more than Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, and TikTok? If you’re someone who relies on their iPhone or Android, try organizing your apps and utilizing the Reminder app. Google makes some of the best apps (in my opinion) for organizing all of your documents, photos, schedules, reservations, and appointments. Change your background, organize your apps, and cut time on social media. You’ll start to realize how important your phone is besides all of the social media.

It’s hard to change the ways and routines of someone when they’ve had them for so long. Statistically, it takes 21 days to make a habit, and 7 days to break it. One month is 30 days, so if you plan out one month of your life and stick to it, chances are you’ll remain organized. Once you find a way to get organized that works for you, it’ll become natural being organized. I hope you’re feeling motivated already and after you finish reading this article, go start planning for next month!