Adjusting to college is a big task to deal with when starting your freshman semester. From harder classes, more homework, no parental supervision, and your own personal freedom, it is easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle and lose sight of the task at hand – academics.

Some of the challenges that most students face in college can really distract you from the goal of completing school work and focusing on your education. Some challenges that you run into in your first semester of college, that could greatly affect your academics are:

• Getting asked to hangout with your new friends at college and put that assignment off just “one more day.”
• The ability and opportunity to go out to the clubs, frats, or house parties.
• Not staying on top of homework assignments.
• Not going to class.
• Sleeping in.
• Not writing down assignments/due dates/test dates.
• Procrastination.
• Distractions while studying.
• Use the “I always have time later” excuse.
• Becoming depressed.

To make sure that you do not miss assignments, classes, tests or projects, you need to stay organized and focused. Here are a few tips that help most students better their organizational skills and therefore improve their overall success in classes.

1. Make a “to-do” list of everything you wish to complete in that day: homework, classes, study hours, relaxation activities, daily chores.
2. Buy a planner to carry with you to record assignments and important dates as they are given to you in class.
3. Buy a whiteboard/tack-board for your room to write down your assignment list along with important due dates, project start and end dates.
   • Order assignments to be completed in order of importance.
   • Make sure to take breaks every so often. Studying too long or on one subject will wear you down causing you to lose focus or give up on the work that needs done.
4. Break large assignments into chunks and complete small portions over a period of time.
5. Place reminders on your phone.
6. Write down things more than once.
7. Use sticky notes (real ones or PC desktop notes) for homework and reminders.
8. Have one place for all notes and paper that is organized into sections, one for each class.

Mix and match these methods along with any you might already use to stay organized. It’s critical to keep track of everything you need to get done in college. A lot of work piles up quickly. Tests require more studying and effort, and getting behind in one class can make it difficult to catch up in that class which will then affect grades in other classes.

By staying organized and focused, it helps keep everything in moderation. There needs to be a balance of school, relaxation, friends, work, and fun. By staying organized and completing work efficiently, it provides more than sufficient time for free time for any student.

Having a game plan or strategy to help stay organized and efficient in your daily to do list helps out greatly.

You must remember why you came to college in the first place, to further your education for a career in the future. Yes, we all can have fun in college but you must not forget why you came here and what is truly important and how to spend your time here. Staying organized with your work and keeping focused helps most people overcome the first step of getting acclimated to college..