Being organized at university: Why and How?

Life in university is arguably the best time of our life where one doesn’t go by any definite set of rules but rather takes his own path and experiences life as it comes. Chaos and mess become a norm as we set out exploring the world away from home. The callow youth in us takes away all concerns until the stress knocks the door in the form of an exam. Phew! I still can’t get rid of the exam phobia that does the spoiler job right at the time when everything in the world seems to be going your way.

Well, wait, what made me get to this situation, parties? No sports? Neither hanging out with friends? No way. Food for thought. Hmmm, Roll back and think, Yes, found the culprit. How about an unorganized way of getting about things. This may sound uncanny in a campus like setup and sometimes boring too. Relishing the time at university is definitely necessary, but at the same time, we should also bear in mind that these years, if wisely spent, may lead us into having a life, most folks can only envy about. I may sound old school, but that is the truth, my friend. Well, this is an attempt to concoct a few handy tips into making your life at university organized. Well, not the boring sort of organized, but the smart variance of it.

 

Procrastination is a bug that has quite taken over our daily routine. There certainly is a big to do list when we begin the day and as the day progresses, we pretty much end up convincing ourselves with excuses for not doing things. This nature may not seem to affect us in the beginning but on a long run, this pretty much has an irreversible effect. Well, what to do then? Plan. I personally believe that since most of our distractions root from technology advancements like computers and mobile phones, why not make use of the same to have an organized routine? I have come up with a list of things that could be done in order to make the best of your time. Here it goes:

• Use a planner app

There is a range of mobile phone apps and websites these days that help you plan your day and also keep reminding you of your list of things to do. Well, for some of you, a planner put up on a wall may seem more effective, I leave it to your personal choice. However, for those of you who are okay with a digital interface, I would suggest apps like Due and Clear.

• Plan in advance

This is usually a lesson that we learn the hard way. To be proactive is not something everyone is capable of. Always have a calendar that is up to date with the activities, meetings, lectures in the approaching future. Planning all important activities quite on time makes it possible to allocate your free time for the hobbies and short trips.

• Keep a check on the way you spend your time

Not sure how many of you remember reading a book for pleasure. The sight of shelves stacked up with the books going dusty is so common these days. Social media is what we wake up to, let consume our time and sleep wishing the virtual world. It has undoubtedly become a major part of our daily lives and the reliance on it should be kept in check and also the time we spend on it. Vague information is what we fill our minds with while we ought to be gaining knowledge and growing wiser.

Better stack than toil

“Life is too complicated not to be orderly” goes a saying by Martha Stewart. Spending time on organizing things in the beginning might seem a bit hectic and uncalled for. However, it would prove worthy as you start spending time on productive things instead of ruining your day looking for a piece of paper. Have a file management system that you are comfortable with and works fine for you. But the most important thing is to have one and to keep updating it. Be it your workplace or your bedroom, have it all organized and your everyday life starts getting easier.

Having your schedule organized for the most part of your day wouldn’t harm your leisure and will help you get done with your tasks as well. Take an hour on a weekend and plan for the upcoming week. This not only helps to stay focused on the tasks at hand and completing them on time and but also in avoiding stressful situations. This for sure is a smart way of getting about daily life so that we make enough time for work and leisure as well.

Not to forget the finances. Being a student, money is always scarce as the part-time job does not pay enough to do the extra shopping but just helps us make our ends meet. So, it is a smart choice to plan the finances and have a monthly budget which has most expected expenditures covered and also some allocation for the surprises. This way, you would seldom fall short of money and also can afford that small vacation with friends out of your savings.

Work hard; Play hard

Have you heard about the “Black and White” way of working? Well, if you haven’t, let me break this down for you. When you are working, make sure you are all into work and engaged into thoughts only regarding work and not about the game next weekend or the last episode of your favorite series. When you are playing, make sure you are all into playing and not worrying about what went wrong at work. As simple as that. This might turn out to be a bit difficult in the beginning. But, trust me, it works and works great. When you sort your activities in this manner, you tend to be mentally and physically present at one place which is great as you become more efficient and at the end of the day, more productive. Also, you can sure make time for that hobby you always wish you had spent time on.

Some people like to work early mornings and some in the evenings. This is totally subjective and we have to figure out for ourselves the time that we are able to focus the utmost. Once you know your period of concentration, all you have to do is to make sure you reserve this time for the work that needs application. On the other hand, there are times during a day, when, no matter how much you try, you will not be able to focus. For me, it is the period after lunch and I choose to either do the boring grocery shopping or hang out with friends.

All said, here’s wishing that you make the most out of your time at the university and also in your professional life that lies ahead. To end it with a quote, let me quote a quote by Bruce Lee, “If you love life, don’t waste time, for time is what life is made up of”

Saleem