College is tough. Add in a blog, and college is REALLY tough. There’s always something you should be doing, you’re constantly adding to your to-do list, and you’re having to manage a school/social/personal/online life every second of the day. This will be my second year running a blog as a college student, and compared to last year, I feel SO much more prepared for this semester thanks to a few strategies I’ve come up with for keeping both my school and blog life organized.
Keep A Master Schedule
While some people like to separate their blog and personal schedules, I prefer to combine them so I can see everything I need to get done in one place. You can do this in a planner, a notebook, or even your laptop! I use an app called Simplenote, which is a really basic note-keeping app, and keep track of my entire week there. I just type out each day of the week, and make a list of things to do underneath each. I also use my Macbook’s calendar app and color-coordinate everything I schedule (I have a different color for blog stuff, classes, events, and workouts). There’s hardly any white space leftover, but I know exactly where I need to be at every hour!
Find School Supplies You Love
If I’m going to have a productive school year, I have to have supplies that fit me. Pulling out a cute folder or spiral and some polka-dotted pencils seriously gives me the boost of energy I need to get through class, so when I went shopping this year I made sure everything I bought fit my aesthetic and matched. Office Depot and OfficeMax made this so easy, because as soon as I walked in I saw a giant display of the most gorgeous school supplies in the exact color scheme I was looking for! I went for the Divoga® Gold Struck fashion collection because mint is my favorite color, and who doesn’t love gold??
I didn’t want to spend too much on supplies this year, because I had a lot to reuse from last year, so I was amazed to find out I could get all of this for less than $25 thanks to Office Depot’s low prices. Even if this scheme isn’t your style, you’re bound to find something that fits you considering how many cute lines they have right now, aside from the already great stuff they carry.
Bring A Notebook With You Throughout The Day
I do just about everything on my laptop, but I love keeping a notebook in my bag for jotting down blog ideas, things I need to get done, and any important info my professor mentions in class. Having all of those thoughts in one place keeps me organized, and at the end of the day I go through it and transfer over any to-do items to my laptop’s list.
Keep Your Backpack Organized
One lesson I learned real quick last year was how much easier life was when I made sure my backpack was stocked with everything I could possibly need. It changes depending on my schedule for the day, but my backpack usually contains my laptop, phone/laptop chargers, spirals/folders for my classes that day, my wallet/keys, snacks, a water bottle, my to-do list notebook, and a pencil pouch (like my new one below from Office Depot!) filled with pencils, pens, highlighters and sticky notes.
Find A Designated Blogging Time
Last year I found it hard to keep my blog going, and I think if I’d planned things out a bit more that wouldn’t have been a problem. This year, I’m scheduling in “blog time” every day so I know I’ll touch it for at least half an hour a day. I’m also planning out my blog posts a week or so ahead, so I know which days I’ll need to block out a little more time. I mark all of this in my master schedule, so I always know when it’s time to take a break and write!
Keep A Spiral Or Folder For Every Class
I tried the whole, one giant binder thing back in high school, and I just can’t go back. That thing got so heavy, and by the end of year I was tired of hauling it around. Now I have a spiral for each of my classes, divided up into sections for notes and homework. I only carry around the spirals for the classes I have that day, so my backpack is much lighter. Buying spirals and folders in different colors will also ensure you don’t accidentally take the wrong spiral to class!
Go Over Your To-Do List Every Night
I hardly ever get everything on my list done, so I’ve made it a habit to go over what’s left every night and prioritize each task for the next day. This lets me decide if I need to schedule out time for anything, or move some tasks to different days. That’s why I love having a digital calendar instead of a planner; it’s so much easier to move tasks around!
Do you have any strategies for keeping yourself organized during the school year? I’d love to hear them!
This is a sponsored post in partnership with Office Depot, Inc. and Her Campus Media. All words and opinions are my own!