ORGANIZE YOUR STUDY LIKE A PRO WITH THESE 6 TIPS!
Updated: Oct 7, 2022
Are you tired because there is just too much to remember? Are you someone who just started to organize?
Well, whoever you are, welcome!
Universities in America can be very stressful...Every day we have to study our subjects, learn how to live in school and learn about adulthood, all at the same time. That's a lot to remember...
To help with that, I suggest you start organizing your study.
So what is organizing your study?
Organizing is taking all the information you get and grouping them in a way that is easy for you
Here are 6 tips to help start your organizing journey!
1. Pen and paper
When you learning to organize, use pen and paper. Using pen and paper is the easiest and cheapest way to store and organize information.
Only requires 2 things ✔️
Small enough to bring everywhere ✔️
Can be formatted however you like it ✔️
When you don't know what to do, it is great to use what you know and try out ways to see what works for you. You can doodle, write symbols, draw graphs, or draw calendars to do weekly planning.
You don't have to buy anything new, learn to use a bunch of apps, or do anything extra. Too much of a good thing can turn into a bad thing. When you organize using simple tools, you focus on the thing you need to organize. You can see the information clearly and figure out what you need in order to properly organize everything.
Just bring a pen and paper and start writing down what you want to remember!
2. Use lots of drawings and symbols
Don't let your notes look like a book📕. That's too many words!
Our brain remembers better when we add drawings🎨🖌, symbols ><, and graphs📊 to notes.
When you add them, different parts of the brain work together to remember the information instead of just one part. This work balance helps you get less tired when you have to remember many things.
If you hold a bag using 1 finger, your finger will hurt.
If you hold a bag using your entire hand, your fingers will feel ok.
What are you adding to your notes?
- Drawings
- Symbols
- Graphs and Tables
3. Color is great for remembering
Color is one of the first things you remember about a thing.
What is my favorite shirt? A ⚫ tank top
Where are you standing at? Next to the 🟠 restaurant.
So yeah, we notice and remember colors. So why not add color to your organization?
A good example of how I use color is I give each subject a color. I give 🟦 to Math. I use a 🟦marker and 🟦 highlighter when taking notes in Math class. I use 🟦 post-it notes. I put Math notes into a 🟦 binder. I also put 🟦 as the color of math class in my Canvas/Blackboard/Google Calendar. So every piece of information that I need for Math class is connected using this one color: 🟦.
By connecting everything, the mistakes that I made decrease:
☑️No more taking the wrong notebook/binder to class because I was in a hurry.
☑️No more mistaking this assignment for a different class.
☑️No more always trying to remember the schedule of each class and their due assignments.
Everything in 1 color -> Less things to remember -> Less tired -> Less mistake -> More confident!
So give this trick a try!
What is the color of Math class?
Blue
Red
Green
Yellow
4. Loose paper and not notebooks
I am a firm believer in using loose paper and binders instead of notebooks for each class.
The reason is simple:
I never know how many notes I needed for each class.
It's no fun to waste paper or to lack paper. Because of that, I switch completely to loose paper that I store in binders for each class.
Loose paper and binder are good for several other reasons:
Loose paper notes can be scanned and copied easily.
You can add class PowerPoint to the binder -> better organization for test review
A few pieces of paper in a paper binder are much lighter than 3,4 notebooks. ( I carry 1 paper binder in school and have big binders for each class in my room.)
This one switch changed my entire note-taking game!
5. Find out your favorite way of looking and remembering information
Everyone has a different way of learning, organizing, and remembering. You can use one method of organizing information or use a mix of multiple methods to get the best result. As a beginner, I recommend you try a few methods and see what works well for you.
It's great to know your own preferred style:
Your note is always easy to understand and remember ✔️
You save time and energy ✔️
You can easily find information ✔️
Start your journey to an organized life by understanding your needs and
finding a way to meet them.
Right now, there are many guides on how to effectively organize on Google and Youtube. There are also many organizing methods like the post-it note method or the Cornell method. In addition, many apps are created to help you with this task such as Evernote, Trello, and Clickup (my favorite!).
Try a few methods and see what works for you the best!
6. Your notes go everywhere with you
There are 2 reasons why I suggest you have your notes on your phone or computer:
Easy to fix your mistakes
When I was a new student, I often forget things. I still do actually, because I have ADHD😅.
And after years of fixing my forgetfulness, I find that having notes of my classes, and files of scanned documents that I can access using my phone and computer is very helpful.
I recommend you put your notes and scans of important documents on Onedrive and Google drive. So when you need them, they are available to see or print. This tip is great for governmental office visits and test reviews.
Freedom and flexibility
A big problem people have with note-taking and organizing is that people feel restricted and controlled by all the rules.
I was annoyed when I started because I didn't want to carry my notes everywhere but hated that I have to go to my room every time to get them so I can study. That, or I have to always plan for the study session and bring my heavy backpack everywhere.
The solution: To upload all my notes and documents to an online drive. When I need to study, I just go to any school computer and open my notes
This also works for when you need to keep track of your spending or your daily schedule. When I am working and studying is when I want to plan and organize the most. I don't want to have to depend on notebooks and planners that I may or may not have in hand. I think many of you can relate to this.
Organizing is not something most people enjoy doing
So why not make it easier for yourself?
Having your notes online and accessible through phone and computer means you can organize and plan whenever you like, wherever you like.
Conclusion
That's all I got for you today. I hope that these tips help you begin your organizing journey. Organizing is messy 😂 so don't worry about doing something wrong or that you are bad at it. Keep your focus on getting a good organizing system that works for you. Life at University is so much more enjoyable once you know how to organize.
Good luck and have fun!