So it’s the start of term again, so naturally I’ve been busy: first by helping new students aroung the university, then with my own classes. However thanks to some prior planning, I’m managing to keep on top of everything. So here are my tips for staying organised at university:

Have a plan. Decide how you are going to organise things, what you want to take part in, and how much time you’re willing to spend on each activity. Have a system for taking notes and storing your work. Sort out how you will manage everything as early as you can, and stick to it.
 
Make things as simple as possible. Whatever you’re doing to stay on top of your notes, appointments and work, keep it simple. If it’s too difficult or complicated you’ll give up or get behind after a few weeks or be spending time you could use for something more rewarding.
 
Make the most of software. Get hold of an organiser like Thunderbird or Kontact or use an online tool. Keep track of your timetable and any meetings or important dates. Use a list of to-dos to note your personal and academic deadlines.
 
Break bigger tasks into smaller bites. When you’re given a deadline for a piece of coursework it can be hard to know where to start, and it can seem like you have ages to work on it. Split the task up into sections and you’ll get a better idea of what needs to be done. Then set your own regular deadlines and milestones to keep your work on track.
 
Recognise when something has gone wrong. When I get behind, my natural reaction is to stop going to classes so people won’t see that I haven’t done enough work. Resisting that urge and immediately taking action is what has made the difference between catching up and failing a module.
 
Keep your notes and files sorted. Whether you take a load of notes on your laptop or a few sketches on paper, decide wht works for you and keep them in order. If your notes aren’t easy to access and understand later when you need them, they’re useless.
 
Don’t waste your time. Try to prevent yourself spending time doing nothing. If you enjoy something, make time for it in your week. Things like endlessly clicking on Stumbleupon however can take up hours of time you could spend on something else. On a related note: minimise your down time. Don’t take time clicking through sites when using RSS would be quicker. Don’t check your email every 5 minutes. Get into the habit of making your use of time more efficient, and spending more time on things you actually enjoy.

 
Hopefully these tips will help you get through university with minimal stress and panic: if you have any advice or techniques to share, drop me a comment below.