University Life: How to Be The Most Organized Freshman at Your School

Worried about organization issues when it comes to being on your own for the first time? Don't worry any longer! We've all been there, and I've got the tricks to being super duper organized through your classes, due dates, and homework assignments (even if you happen to be as lazy as me)!

I've got tons of tips for keeping your homework and classes in order. The most important one I can tell you: get a planner. If you're anything like me (the organized and tidy A-student), you'll be using it! You can also use washi tape to outline important due dates, like this! Pictured to the right.

Another way to keep super organized and prepared for due dates is to create your own dry-erase calendar with a cheap glass frame and paint chips from the nearest department store. It's way easy and super preppy-cute! Pictured down and to the left!

Another super easy way to organize homework and due dates is by using different-colored pens to highlight different types of events in your planner, or even in your notes! Lectures can be difficult to take in all at once, so consider purchasing a tape recorder so you can take notes later. Even consider taking notes on your laptop instead of on paper, typing is much faster than writing everything down in a split second! An added bonus to using a computer to take notes: the ability to use different fonts, colors, and charts/graphs to organize.

Using multi-colored pens with notes can help you highlight key points and important study items. Also, make sure that you leave space in between your notes. Crammed notes can get confusing and downright unorganized (no fun in the long run!). It'll be much easier if you leave at least a line in between each point, and take notes with graphs and visuals. This makes note-taking more interesting and much easier to study later!

Need help remembering classrooms, teachers, and courses on the first day of classes? Look no further! Make your class schedule your lock screen and you'll have your new schedule at the palm of your hand at all times! I also recommend that you keep the times of your classes closeby so you're aware of how much time you have in between events. A useful thing to make may be a color-coded schedule with an accurate timeline. I keep mine (and my boyfriend's!) schedule on my wall so that I can keep up with where we both have to be at all times, and of course, what times we'll both be available to hang out. Especially since we're both working full-time college students and don't always have the time to see each other 24/7 like we'd like!

Another tip: if you have several classes in a row around a mealtime, pack snacks and water! You'll be thanking me after long hours of lectures and rumbling tummies. When I started college at NIACC, I didn't consider while scheduling classes that I might have to miss mealtimes at the dorms. Make sure you'll have enough time to eat (or enough snacks to tide you over)!

Overall, college is something that you'll get the hang of after either a few days, or in my case, a few semesters. By my fourth semester of NIACC, I was finally feeling comfortable in my own skin. I'm now able to navigate buildings and classrooms, talk to strangers with confidence, and feel educated on the social structure of community college. Ironically, I'll have to start all over when I transfer to a university.

All in all, that'll be a great experience too, just like NIACC has been. My point being: you'll learn to love the new atmosphere of college! Don't take things too seriously, and if you slip up grade-wise, don't let your determination suffer. College is difficult sometimes. If you put your best foot forward, college can be a blast. Keep up with homework, spend as much time with your friends as you can (while making decent grades), and make sure to make memories that'll last a lifetime. When I leave NIACC, I already know that I'll be missing my group of friends desperately. College is a social experience as much as it is an educational one. Remember to take things one day at a time.