ORGANIZE YOUR LIFE: STUDENT EDITION Russell Conwell Learning Center Office of the Senior Vice Provost for Undergraduate Studies.

ORGANIZE YOUR LIFE: STUDENT EDITION

Russell Conwell Learning CenterOffice of the Senior Vice Provost for Undergraduate Studies

So you need some help getting organized? Let’s figure out what we’re working with

first…

Take a few minutes to answer the following 8 questions (keep track of the number of questions you answer A, B or C to).

Remember: Choose the answer that is MOST like you Be truthful Record your answers

Lets get started!

How Organized Are You?

1. The big test is tomorrow. You and your friends have planned a study session at your house. When they come, you:

a) Quickly push aside all the junk on the table and chairs, order pizza, turn the radio on full blast, and start to jam with your buddies.

b) Move some mail onto the ground and have some TV dinners with your friends, and take some time to study before watching the horror flick you rented.

c) You sit down to a couple hours of organized studying.

How Organized Are You?

2. A big paper is due in your Gen Ed course. When your professor asks for your paper, you:

a) Fumble through your binder, desk, notebook, books, etc., trying to stall.

b) Take it out as quickly as possible...trying to remember where you put it.

c) Give it to your professor, you already had it out.

How Organized Are You?

1. You have a cleaning schedule with your roommate (or family) and its your turn to clean. But your best friend just surprised you and wants to go out. You:

a) Run up to your room and start to push all the junk under you bed, in drawers, and into your closet.

b) Put your dirty laundry in the hamper, make your bed, and just straighten up your room a little.

c) Both of you go straight out, your room is already spotless from last months cleaning.

How Organized Are You?

4. Tonight is your big club softball game. Your team told you to be there an hour early. It is about 10 minutes before you have to be at the field. You:

a) Look everywhere for your uniform. You could have sworn you had put on your desk chair the night before! Or, was it the dresser you put it on?

b) Slip your shoes on, make your water bottle, grab all of your extra equipment, and when your ready to walk out of the door, you realize you have to go to the bathroom!

c) Grab your extra equipment and walk out the door.

How Organized Are You?

5. You need to go to the grocery store to pick up a few things after class. In your rush to class, you make your grocery list, and:

a) You keep it in your hand as you are running out of the door and accidentally drop it in your rush to school.

b) Stuff it in your backpack along with the rest of your life.

c) Fold it nice and neatly and stick it into your zipper up pocket so you won't loose it.

How Organized Are You?

6. You have 5 minutes to get to your next class. You:

a) Are still in your messy room trying to find the book you need and trying to think up a reasonable excuse to tell the most strict professor at Temple why you’re late.

b) Are running down Broad Street trying to dodge everybody who is in your way.

c) Are already seated in your seat, waiting for the class to begin.

How Organized Are You?

7. When you’re done class for the day, you:

a) Go straight to facebook after you make yourself a quick snack.

b) Make a snack, watch TV for an hour, and then do your homework.

c) Start your homework right away.

How Organized Are You?

8. You have a big research paper due tomorrow. It was assigned 2 weeks ago. You work on it:

a) The night before it is due.b) A few days before it is due.c) In chunks over the 2 weeks you were

given. A couple days before its due, you review what you’ve done and add your finishing touches.

Time to tally your results…

Count up the number of As, Bs, and Cs you had, respectively.

Results

Mostly As You need some major organizational practice,

pay close attention to this workshop! Mostly Bs

You’re a little unorganized so review this workshop and see where you could make improvements!

Mostly Cs You’re a pretty organized student – but no

one’s perfect. See if this workshops helps you inch even closer to organizational bliss!

I didn’t think so, lets get to it…

Any Perfect Scores of all Cs??

Why should you care about being organized?

It will make your life easier in the long run by making you more efficient

It could inmprove your grades

It can relieve stress It is a marketable

skill that employers look for

Goals of this Workshop

By the end of this workshop, you should be able to: Organize your class materials to reduce

your stress and increase academic achievement

Use to-do lists and planners to organize your time commitments

Establish routines to increase productivity

Let’s break it down into three simple rules:

1. Keep school stuff neat.

2. Have a plan.3. Establish

routines.

What is wrong with this picture?

Or even worse…

Rule #1: Keep school stuff neat. Remember your work is a reflection of

the type of person you are. Hopefully that person is responsible, hard-

working, and ORGANIZED!!!

To keep your schoolwork neat, follow these tips…

Organize Your School Supplies Get a big, dorky

school bag with plenty of compartments

Establish compartments for: Pens/pencils Books Personal items Other items:

Calculator My Pick – mini-

stapler & staples

Organize Your Notebooks

Get a SEPARATE notebook for each class

If you can, splurge and get one that has a folder inside it

Keep your syllabus in that folder as well as your handouts

Why SEPARATE notebooks?

You don’t want to lug around unnecessary materials for class

You don’t want to mix up course materials

Remember to get a notebook big enough for the entire semester!

Organize Your Notes

ALWAYS date your notes

Start a new page for each new class

Only write on one side of the page

Keep your notes as neat as possible Leave spaces

between different ideas

Use pencil or erasable pen (avoid nasty scribbles)

Why all the picky rules?

It will keep your notes neat and easy to study from

If you want to become an organizational guru, check out these sites below that can help you in organizing your note-taking: http://www.notetakinghelp.com/ http://www.muskingum.edu/~cal/database/

general/notetaking1.html

Organize Your Handouts

DATE every handout you get

Put all new handouts you receive in the front of your built-in folder This is a simple way

to keep them chronologically organized with your more recent work in the front

Organize Your Workspace

Don’t let this be you!

Organize Your Workspace

Clear your desk or room before you start studying or do homework You don’t want any important materials

getting lost in the shuffle Organize materials you use to do work

Have your calculator, pencils/pens, and other supplies ready for use!

Rule #2: Have a Plan.

You’ve heard it before…Fail to Plan, Plan to Fail.

It’s actually true – even if you don’t always stick to your plan, it should always be there to fall back on

There are 2 essentials to planning: The planner/calendar The to-do list

The Planner/Calendar

If you want to kick it old school, go to the bookstore and get a weekly planner.

Google Calendar

Or just use your TUmail account to access your Google Calendar

Just like a paper planner, you can add in: tasks due dates & test dates appointments birthdays Whatever you can think of!

Google Calendar is great because… You can plan daily, weekly, or

monthly You can color-code important events to

make them stand out You can have Google Calendar send you

reminders about important events If you sync your TUmail account to your

smartphone, you can access your calendar from just about anywhere!

Google Calendar Resources

For help syncing your smartphone to your TUmail, go to http://www.temple.edu/cs/email/google/faqs.ht

ml#setup_smartphone

For a Google Calendar tutorial go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIZmruQdh

G0

For some fun tricks go to http://www.hackcollege.com/2007/03/09/the-3-

best-ways-to-use-google-calendar-as-a-college-student/

To-Do Lists

Make daily to-do lists based off your TUmail Google Calendar

Use whatever works – post-its, list pads, scrap paper, electronic apps, etc

Do the ugliest and most important things first

Take pleasure in crossing off items!

Rule #3: Establish Routines. You want to make your academic life so

integrated into your daily life that it runs itself.

The more routines you can develop for things like studying, doing homework, reading, going to class, etc. the better!

Must have routines: Homework Studying Sleeping

Homework Routine

When are you going to do it? After class? After dinner? In between

classes? Where are you

going to do it? In your room? In the library? With classmates?

Studying Routines

Where is your best study place? At home or at

school? What is your study

schedule? What times are best

for studying? What is your style

of studying? Memorization?

Reviewing? Practice tests? Study groups?

Tips for Establishing Routines

Take advantage of time in between classes Go to a quiet place and get stuff done! Even if its just an hour between classes,

multiple small efforts will add up

Be honest with yourself If you know working with classmates will result

in more goofing off than work getting done, find a quiet place ALONE to complete your work

More tips…

For long-term projects and major tests Create a schedule to get the work done in

increments Start working on it (or studying for it) as soon as

possible

Earplugs could be your friend Go to a drug store and buy a pack of foam ear

plugs They can help you concentrate when working

around others Please use responsibly!

Sleep Routine

College students need 7-8 hours of sleep a night And there is no such thing as “making up”

for lost sleep Sleep will keep you healthy, alert, and

ready to kill your classes Create a sleep schedule and stick to it!

Don’t let this be you!

Don’t let this be you!

Let’s Review

Rule #1: Keep school stuff neat. Supplies Notebooks Notes/handouts Workspace

Rule #2: Have a plan. Planner/Google

Calendar To-do lists

Rule #3: Establish Routines. Homework Study Sleep

You Can Do It!