The Overwhelm of College Life
Moving to college can be an exhilarating experience, especially during the first week of classes. For me, it was one of the most exciting but nerve-wracking weeks of my life. I made many new friends, attended numerous events, and spent my first week living away from home. However, after my last class that week, I felt incredibly overwhelmed by what might come. I underestimated the amount of work I would need to do and failed to make a schedule to plan everything out. Therefore, I ended up having to do it all in one night. I was so caught up with wanting to attend all of the campus activities and making new friends that I became completely disorganized and burned myself out during my first week of college. Afterward, I felt unaccomplished and ashamed of myself. Would my entire college experience be filled with staring at books for hours, feeling like I was getting nothing done?
I had always thought I was organized in high school as I was on top of my assignments and always kept note of their due dates. However, when I got to college, I didn’t realize how flawed my method was. I wasn’t using a planner and became easily disorganized. I just completed whatever assignments I felt like doing that day, failing to finish the big assignments until the last minute. This same thing happened to me during my first week, and I never realized that I could make my weeks much easier by simply organizing them better. I knew that something had to change if I was going to be a productive student. Stressed, I talked to my mom for help. She shared advice that would help launch my success for the rest of the semester.
My Organization Toolkit
She told me to “try to take it each day at a time” and to worry about the present task at hand, not my upcoming ones. By taking it one thing at a time and focusing on the present, I allowed myself to be much more productive and motivated to complete my tasks. She helped me realize the importance of planning out what homework assignments I did each day of the week. This helped me significantly with the transition into my college curriculum; my mom’s inspiring words shifted my perspective entirely. By simply becoming a bit more organized, my confidence level soared.
I invested in a physical planner, which was much easier than my previous method: writing my hefty to-do list on a small sticky note on my computer. A planner may seem like an obvious method to fix my problem. However, it is important to remember that what we do with it can make or break our organization. I reflected on what organizational methods would benefit me the most and how I could be more intentional with my planning. I utilized methods like arranging what assignments I would do each day, dividing my to-do list by class, and color-coding long-term and short-term assignments. This remarkably helped me feel less overwhelmed by all of my assignments. I found that it became satisfying to complete a task, and I was less worried about the next one at hand.
Fostering Intentional Organization This Semester
As the new semester begins, consider providing your students with strategies to help them manage their time and prioritize their assignments effectively. Were there any indications of stress that you observed in your students? Can you suggest improvements to their organizational methods for the new semester? How can you help students be more intentional with their organization? I also am asking myself these questions to understand better how to be the best student I can be. It is important to recognize the impact that intentional organization has on your students’ daily lives. Even small adjustments can significantly improve their week and overall academic experience.
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Liz McMunn is a Student Assistant at the Center for Teaching Excellence. She is a freshman undergraduate studying Music with a concentration in Vocal Performance and a minor in Business. She is from West Chester, Pennsylvania, and likes to crochet and play guitar in her free time.