It is not easy to come to college and immediately be able to have a routine and keep organized. There are some key tips and tricks that I can give you; however, you will have to find these things out for yourself. I will give suggestions, but once you arrive at college, you will eventually find out what suits you best.
How to ensure all work gets done:
I will mention this again, but the biggest key for me was to look at my college career as a nine to five job. No matter when my classes would start, I would wake up around 8, eat breakfast, exercise to get blood flowing, and start my day. I would take breaks to go eat lunch and go to class, but all other time was consumed by doing homework and studying. Not only did this help me get all of my work done and study extra, but it gave my body a solid routine with structure. This structure set up a great sleep schedule and allowed me to open my nightly schedule for extracurricular activities.
How to not lose track of classes/meetings/homework:
For this, I have two separate methods that I have used and been successful with. The first of which is using Google Calendar. There is a way to input your entire class schedule into the calendar for the semester and set reminders for when they are. In addition, you can add meetings, homework due dates, midterm dates, or other life activities (even lunch with friends). You can set up reminders for days in advance so that you do not miss a beat. It is very nice to be able to see your life laid out in color for weeks to come.
My second method is more in regard to making sure every assignment gets completed. The answer for me is post-it notes. I keep post-it notes in my backpack, on my desk, in my common area, and pretty much everywhere else. Whenever I receive an assignment for the week, I write it on one, along with the due date, and place it on the inside of my laptop. Once I see how due dates match up and how much I have to handle, I make an attack plan and go after it. After assignments are completed, I have the satisfying ability to cross it off the note and see it disappear.
How to make sure there is time for social/club activities:
The best advice I have to offer on this front is sticking to the nine to five schedule. There will be exceptions to this rule, but if you can try to stick to it as much as possible, nights will generally be free to get ahead on other work, go out with friends, or attend the club meetings that you are involved in.
Like I said, it will be a learning curve and there will be bumps in the road, but those are a couple tips that could get you out on the right foot and help you discover what does and does not work for you!
