Having a desktop or browser organizational tool can be helpful to keep track of things and keep you on time!
Time management is a critical tool for success and self-care in college. When you manage your time effectively, you gain a sense of control, and you're better able to manage your stress levels.
The Harvard Business Review identifies three critical skills at the core of effective time management:
Time management looks different for everyone, but here are some common hacks to help you organize your time more effectively:
1) Plan Ahead: Review your syllabi and course schedule at the beginning of the semester, and record due dates for tasks and appointments in a planner or calendar app. Label or color-code entries (e.g., work, school, life, etc.).
2) Don't multitask: Scientifically, humans can't actually multitask as well as they think they can. Do one thing at a time to avoid dividing your attention and decreasing your productivity. It can help to create to-do lists on a sheet of paper or on an app like Todoist.
3) Get a good night's sleep: See the section on sleep!
4) Reward yourself: It's important to reward yourself after completing your to-do list to avoid burnout, and achieve a good work-life balance. Whether it's visiting a friend, watching your favorite TV show, or enjoying a cup of hot chocolate, make sure you're celebrating a job well-done!
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * The book that sparked a revolution and inspired the hit Netflix series Tidying Up with Marie Kondo: the original guide to decluttering your home once and for all. ONE OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL BOOKS OF THE DECADE--CNN Despite constant efforts to declutter your home, do papers still accumulate like snowdrifts and clothes pile up like a tangled mess of noodles? Japanese cleaning consultant Marie Kondo takes tidying to a whole new level, promising that if you properly simplify and organize your home once, you'll never have to do it again. Most methods advocate a room-by-room or little-by-little approach, which doom you to pick away at your piles of stuff forever. The KonMari Method, with its revolutionary category-by-category system, leads to lasting results. In fact, none of Kondo's clients have lapsed (and she still has a three-month waiting list). With detailed guidance for determining which items in your house "spark joy" (and which don't), this international bestseller will help you clear your clutter and enjoy the unique magic of a tidy home--and the calm, motivated mindset it can inspire.
Spark Joy by
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * The star of the hit Netflix series Tidying Up with Marie Kondo and author of The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up helps you visualize your ideal lifestyle. Japanese decluttering guru Marie Kondo has revolutionized homes--and lives--across the world. Now, Kondo presents an illustrated guide to usingher acclaimed KonMari Method to create a joy-filled home that works the way you need it to. Spark Joy features step-by-step folding illustrations for everything from shirts to socks, plus drawings of perfectly organized drawers and closets. Kondo also answers frequently asked questions, such as whether to keep "necessary" items that may not bring you joy. With guidance on specific categories including kitchen tools, cleaning supplies, hobby goods, digital photos, and even building your own personal "power spot" in your home, this comprehensive companion is sure to spark joy in anyone who wants to simplify their life.
Clean My Space by
Melissa Maker has completely re-engineered cleaning. The energetic, fresh face of home keeping behind the sensationally popular YouTube channel Clean My Space knows that today's generation doesn't need an 800-page tome on how to polish brass knobs. People still need to know how to clean, but they need to clean for the way they live-with a faster, fresher, cooler approach. In Clean My Space, Melissa shares with readers her revolutionary 3-step method- identify the most important areas (MIAs) in the home that need attention; select the proper tools, products, and techniques for the job; and finally, implement these new cleaning routines so that they stick. Melissa's method also emphasizes non-toxic cleaning products that will appeal to today's eco-conscious consumer, and the book includes a comprehensive section with recipes for natural cleaning solutions, many of which have essential oils. By following the Maker Method and Melissa's countless tips, and cleaning hacks. Readers are only a few easy steps away from living in a cleaner, more cheerful, and refreshing space all the time.
Outer Order, Inner Calm by
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * In this lovely, easy-to-use illustrated guide to decluttering, the beloved author of The Happiness Project shows us how to take control of our stuff--and, by extension, our lives. Gretchen Rubin knows firsthand that creating order can make our lives happier, healthier, more productive, and more creative. But for most of us, a rigid, one-size-fits-all solution doesn't work. When we tailor our approach to suit our own particular challenges and habits, we can find inner calm. With a sense of fun, and a clear idea of what's realistic for most people, Rubin suggests dozens of manageable tips and tricks for creating a more serene, orderly environment, including: * Never label anything "miscellaneous." * Ask yourself, "Do I need more than one?" * Don't aim for minimalism. * Remember: If you can't retrieve it, you won't use it. * Stay current with a child's interests. * Beware the urge to "procrasticlear." By getting rid of things we don't use, don't need, or don't love, we free our minds (and our shelves) for what we truly value.
The Organized Mind by
New York Times bestselling author and neuroscientist Daniel J. Levitin shifts his keen insights from your brain on music to your brain in a sea of details. The information age is drowning us with an unprecedented deluge of data. At the same time, we're expected to make more--and faster--decisions about our lives than ever before. No wonder, then, that the average American reports frequently losing car keys or reading glasses, missing appointments, and feeling worn out by the effort required just to keep up. But somehow some people become quite accomplished at managing information flow. In The Organized Mind, Daniel J. Levitin, PhD, uses the latest brain science to demonstrate how those people excel--and how readers can use their methods to regain a sense of mastery over the way they organize their homes, workplaces, and time. With lively, entertaining chapters on everything from the kitchen junk drawer to health care to executive office workflow, Levitin reveals how new research into the cognitive neuroscience of attention and memory can be applied to the challenges of our daily lives. This Is Your Brain on Music showed how to better play and appreciate music through an understanding of how the brain works. The Organized Mind shows how to navigate the churning flood of information in the twenty-first century with the same neuroscientific perspective.
Simply Clean by
From the cleaning and homekeeping expert and creator of the wildly popular Clean Mama blog comes a simple and accessible cleaning guide with a proven step-by-step schedule for tidying a home in just ten minutes a day. Becky Rapinchuk, the "Clean Mama," understands that many people don't have the time, organizational skills, or homemaking habits to maintain a constantly clean and decluttered living space. In Simply Clean, Becky will help you effortlessly keep a tidy house and build habits to become a neat person--no matter how messy you may naturally be! Simply Clean features: -A 7-Day Simply Clean Kick Start and the 28-Day Simply Clean Challenge, to turn cleaning from a chore into an effortless habit -A designated catch-up day, so you'll never have to worry or stress when life gets in the way of cleaning -Step-by-step tutorials for speed cleaning hard-to-clean spaces -Dozens of recipes for organic, environmentally conscious cleaning supplies -Many of Becky's famous checklists, schedules, and habit trackers No matter how big your home or busy your schedule, the Simply Clean method can be customized to fit your life. It really is possible--in just ten minutes a day, you can create a cleaner, happier home.
