It's been said that to be successful, you have to be organized. Well,
whoever came up with that probably didn't have to deal with three tests, an
essay and a project all due the next day after they got home from practice or
rehearsal at 7pm. Welcome to High School.
Sometimes, you just get swamped with so much work that you really don't
know where to start and, consequently, you don't end up doing any of it. This
is where organization can calm you down and prevent you from, say,
stress-eating. So how do you get organized? Confusingly, you must first
organize your organizational process. Let me explain.
1. Establish a Home Base
A
home base is essentially where you'll log all of your tasks. This can be a
giant whiteboard in your room, a planner, or your hand (though that is not
advised). Most often, your home base will be an app on your computer or phone.
Having an app on all your electronic devices that syncs your tasks is extremely
helpful, though if you're a more hands-on person a physical home base will work
fine as well.
I
personally use the application Things, which is available on Mac and iOS. It's
not cheap, but it works really well and syncs promptly across its various
platforms. I have a master list of tasks on my computer that also appears on my
phone, and I can add and edit tasks from both devices. Other notable apps are
iProcrastinate, Wunderlist, and Clear, which are all decidedly less expensive.
Of course, there's always good ol' iCal if you like the calendar feel.
Whichever platform you choose for your home base, make sure it's something that
you'll always have with you.
2. Prioritize
Once
you have a home base, start adding your tasks to it. Order your list of tasks
by priority. For me, tests come first, projects second, quizzes third, homework
fourth, extracurriculars fifth. If you have multiple tests, quizzes, homework
assignments, etc, order them by class. So it should work out something like
this: a test in your hardest class (or class that requires the most studying)
will be the first thing on your task list, while a set of questions for your
easiest class will come last. You should also save the fun stuff (yes-
amazingly enough, there are enjoyable projects and assignments in High School)
for last, that way you have something to look forward to after all the hard and
boring stuff.
Another
tip (and you're not going to like me for this): start your assignments EARLY. I
know how excruciating it can be to sacrifice your free time for something that's
not even due tomorrow, but trust me; when you finish an assignment three days
early and stuff starts piling up as the week progresses, you'll have one less
thing to do on Thursday night. And once you start doing stuff early, it gets
easier and easier every time you do it. Proactivity, my friends. Proactivity.
3. Focus
When
it's time to actually start doing your work (yes, this will inevitably happen),
make sure you're as focused as possible. That way, you'll get more stuff done
in less time. Tip number one: spend as little of your time on the computer as
possible- the temptation to check Instagram or Facebook or play online games
might be too great to resist, and that squashes your productivity. Of course
most assignments have to be typed and/or researched online, so it's not always
possible to avoid the machine.
If
you have to be on a computer, take advantage of the numerous programs and
applications available to keep you focused. If you're writing a paper, try a
distraction-free writing program like iA Writer or OmmWriter for a full-screen
page without any app icons or formatting buttons. If you're doing anything else
online, I recommend using FocusAtWill. It's a free online music service with
songs selected specifically for getting work done (with genres like classical,
acoustic, and new age), and I find that it actually helps me focus.
Your
environment can also help you focus. Always pick a spot to do work where you
don't feel distracted by anything (for most people this is somewhere quiet,
like a library or their bedroom). It's rarely a good idea to do homework on
your bed, especially if your assignment is particularly boring and it's 9:30 at
night- you might just fall asleep, and that's totally not what we're going for
here.
That
doesn't sound too bad, does it? Just have a singular place where you write down
everything you have to get accomplished, arrange all your tasks by difficulty
and importance level and create an environment conducive to focusing, and you'll
be ready to own all your work. Of course if you have any questions about
organization or good study habits, feel free to ask me a question.
