My advice is to be proactive and get into the habit of tracking your tasks. You may be telling yourself that you can pass the year by mentally remembering deadlines or occasionally scribbling them down on a sticky note. But planners are great for keeping track of deadlines, appointments, and daily tasks. A lot of high schools provide students with basic, cheap planners that end up crumpled at the bottom of your bag. So where do you write down all those deadlines? I recommend buying a planner. Related: 7 Habits Proven to Help You Ace Your College Classes 2. This will prepare you for the whole semester but also relieve the stress of not knowing when all your tasks are due. Not only do professors spend a ton of time setting up their syllabus, they will also tell you to check the syllabus before you ask them any questions-it’s that serious! In order to stay up to date, make sure to review and mark down deadlines from all your course syllabi as soon as you get them. Instead of being a waste of paper, the syllabus is basically the Holy Scripture for the course.Ī college syllabus typically contains your required course materials, the professor’s contact information and office hours (side note: take advantage of those hours), your school’s academic policies, project deadlines, and test dates.

But the syllabus is viewed entirely differently in college. I truly do not remember the last time a high school teacher had me refer back to the syllabus, solely because there was never anything really important on it. In high school the syllabus is handed out on the first day and typically ends up with doodles produced by boredom or in the trash. Follow your syllabiĪ major difference from high school to college is the importance of having a syllabus. From my own experience, I have come up with five super easy ways to get organized starting in the first year.

It is crucial to stay organized and on top of your game in order to conquer college. In high school there was less freedom and responsibility, but in college, everything you do falls onto your shoulders. The transition from high school to college can be challenging, especially with a change of lifestyle.

How to organize your life in college