
Welcome to or welcome back to UNH! I hope you all had a good summer and youâre ready for another great year of studies and everything that the university has to offer â and thatâs a lot! Being back at school, or, for you freshmen, if this is your first year, the first few weeks of classes are all about getting organized and getting into your new routine of classes and daily activities. These can get a bit jumbled if you donât start organizing yourself and your schedule fast. Everyone has their own way to stay on track, but here areÌęa few tips and tricks to stay organized this academic year.
Classes
Print Your Schedule
Having a printout of your schedule is always helpful, even if youâre someone who has everything programmed on their phone. My tip is to print out at least one copy of your class schedule and either keep it at your desk, taped to your closet doorÌęor on the door to your room. Put it somewhere where you will always see it. Plus, it is super helpful toÌęcheck it on your way to class as youâre opening your door or getting up fromÌęyour desk. Even at midsemester,ÌęIâm always checking my schedule print out just to make sure I know exactly where Iâm going. Especially on one of those hectic days where you think itâs Wednesday but itâs really Tuesday (yikes!).
Syllabus Cheat Sheet
It is still early, so most professors havenât posted their syllabi yet on MyCourses. As soon as they do, youâre going to want to do two things: 1.ÌęPrint it (or download to your computer) and 2.ÌęMake a cheat sheet. If you print out the syllabus before class, you know youâll have it with you, and you can go over it before class starts. Not every professor will hand out copies on the first day, so this can be a life saver. Once you have it printed (or saved/open in front of you on your screen) you can make your cheat sheet. Take the first few pages of your notebook and write in the mainÌętopics by week or important dates for the class.
Pick a Planner
Remember back in middle school, at the beginning of every school year, the school would give you a planner? I miss those daysâŠBut UNH does this, too! If you look aroundÌęthe Student Senate Offices at the beginning of the school year, youâll be able to find some free planners for you to use to write down your assignments and important due dates for classes. If you canât find one or you donât like the free version, stop by the or one of the stores downtown and pick up a weekly planner! Even if youâre putting everything into your phone, writing down tasks and deadlines on paper can help you remember them. You donât want to wake up Monday morning to realize that you havenât done that bio lab report afterÌęyou swiped âignoreâ on the notification on your phone.
Personal
Calendar Prep
Having some kind of calendar can also be very helpful,Ìęnot only for keeping academically organized,Ìębut also with your personal life. I like having aÌęcalendar on my desk so that I can see every day what my week and month look like. I even get a little crazy and try to color code everything â a color for each class, a color for personal events, a color for work, etc. Sitting down at the beginning of the month and filling in your calendar can also be really relaxing and give you a plan for the month ahead.
Set Aside Time
When it comes to being organized, it is important to set aside time in your schedule for personal time. When youâre jotting down your class schedule, homework timeÌęand work shifts, make sure that you pencil in some time for yourself â whatever that may be.
To-Do Lists
To-do lists are my favorite. There, I said it. There is nothing more rewarding than crossing off another item on the list. And I highly recommend making either a daily or weekly to-do list â especially when you know you have exams coming up.
Living Space
Schedule Chores
Just because you are living at school now doesnât mean that the chores go away. Put some cleaning time into your schedule (I always like Sunday afternoons for this). If youâre in an apartment or in the dorms, talk with your roommates and see what day or time works best for everyone to help clean. Divide up the chores, and at the start of every week your room will be spotless and ready for another busy week.
Organize
Making sure that your living space is organized is also a great way to keep the rest of your life organized while youâre at school. When youâre unpacking on move-in day, try to organize as you go. Youâll be much happier on the first day of classes, that Monday, when you know where everything is.
âFamilyâ Time
Finally, make time for family.ÌęMake sure that during the week you schedule some time to call home and let them know how youâre doing. Tell Mom and Dad about how you didnât think that you were going to pass that French oral quiz and then totally nailed it! And family doesnât even have to mean your real family. It can mean your friends, too! Set aside some time with them. Get weekly dinners together or hangÌęout on T-Hall lawn while itâs nice out. Head over to a weekend movie at the MUB or try a club together.
Good luck this year, Wildcats! Stay organized, and enjoy another great year in Wildcat country!
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Written By:
Samantha Gorski â16 | UNH Tales