How to get organised for study

You’ve just started the new semester, textbooks in tow. It’s now time to #getorganised to prep yourself for a productive few months!

Get your study space sorted

Sweep ‘organised chaos’ under the rug. Instead, create a clean study space that will clear your mind! Less physical clutter means less mental clutter – with less distractions and more control.

Keeping your space tidy doesn’t mean it has to be boring either. You should be visually drawn to it – make  use of colours that make you feel happy and maybe even include an inspirational goal – it could be a quote or picture – anything that makes you feel motivated.

Use a filing system

Don’t let those important notes fall to the bottom of the pile, and don’t let that pile become a pile up!  Create unit-specific folders and discard of any notes that do not provide any value to you. You may wish to organise your folders alphabetically by sub-topic, or even by week.

Include a section for your assignments so you can add general notes or references you could find useful later.

Really want to get ahead? Learn how to reference correctly from the beginning. Sounds a bit boring? Trust me, it will save you hours of work. Endnote is a free bibliographic management tool  that will help you organise your sources.

Use a to-do list

Plan out what you need to do today, this week, this month and even over the next year. You might manage this digitally on a calendar or to-do list, in an organiser or on a whiteboard. This way, there are no surprises, you know what’s coming up and can feel great ticking items off the list. You may find it helpful to use a time management app.

Stick to a schedule

Don’t let study fall to the bottom of your priority to list. Set a time each day that you know you can commit to and use this time to study, start on an assignment or work on practical exercises. Just as people have different learning styles, we also work best at different times of the day. Get to know what time you’re most productive and schedule in your study time around then.