10 Ways to Stay On Top of Your Tasks in College

Start implementing these ways in your daily study sessions – they will be a great help.

Researched, written by Amber & The Team
Updated on May 19, 2023

Found in Occupational Health • Healthy Student Life

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University is a hectic time for each student. If you balance school with other commitments such as family, work, or sports, you know how stressful it can be. An average college attendee spends around twenty hours a week preparing for classes. Without solid planning and time management skills, it is easy to feel overwhelmed. On a good note, some great ways and tools can help you stay organized and develop functional and straightforward strategies to handle tasks with less stress and more systematization.

Since college is a stressful place and every student has many responsibilities and tasks to do, you can easily experience burnout and lack of motivation. This feeling is normal, and many individuals live through it daily. Here are ten tips and ways you can implement them in your study schedule to keep you organized, motivated, and excited for your next study session.

Invest Your Time and Make a To-Do List

A daily to-do list goes a long way if you spare some time the day before and look at the tasks you need to do. It is the easiest way to keep track of your commitments and assignments. Many studies have shown that the best way to remember something easier is to write it down, so next time you’ll have many burdens to do, take a paper and a pen and write them down. This list can include tasks as simple as doing your homework, checking an e-mail, or exam deadlines. If you think there is a possibility of forgetting something, put it down on paper and relieve your brain.

Start With Your Assignments Early

You should consider rethinking your approach if you are a procrastinator. Leaving your assignments until the last day is an unorganized and stressful habit you must break. Since this will create lots of stress for you, you won’t be able to do your best work and put in all the effort needed. Even worse, you can forget about it and miss a deadline. The best thing you can do here is to start early and plan for the assignment before the due date. By starting early, you won’t need to pull an all-nighter or experience stress and lack motivation. You can get some extra help since you’ll have plenty of time.

Pick One Day per Week to Organize Your Burdens

The great idea is to choose one day per week and make it your college organization day. On this day, you will catch up on schoolwork you might have missed, see what is awaiting you the next week and what you must prioritize. A Sunday is a great day for this since it is the day before the start of another week. Doing this means you won’t have problems and will know your responsibilities.

Use a Digital Planner

You can find many time management apps to help you organize and prioritize your tasks. Installing an app like this will eliminate the need for million to-do lists and help you sync your reminders with assignments. You can also program the app to send you notifications and reminders.

Set Goals

If you want to stay on top of your schoolwork and have time for your assignments, you will have to dedicate some time to your task and finish it on a predetermined day. This is an excellent way of setting your goals because you will most likely do it by that time and stop your procrastination. You can start with smaller goals like reading a certain number of pages in one sitting or doing a certain number of mock tests per week. This is the best way to succeed in staying on top of your work.

Eliminate Distractions During Your Study Sessions

When you decide and sit down for a study session, you must eliminate all of the distractions in your surroundings. They will keep you from focusing on your workload and deconcentrate you. You don’t want to be disturbed by notifications or catchy songs. You can put your phone in another room, use your laptop for assignment purposes and play instrumental music. This will help you focus and concentrate for a while.

Find Somebody to Study With

Another great way to get your work done is to find a study buddy. You will have a pleasant and eventful study session, meet your colleagues better and make a friend along the way. You can hold each other accountable when you do your work on time. Preparing projects and exams will be more accessible since you’ll have somebody to share your ideas with and ask questions if you don’t understand something. You can always form a study group if you function and feel more productive.

Ask For Help if You Need It

Students often tend to procrastinate and struggle with tasks they don’t understand. They avoid them instead of asking for help when feeling stuck. The best person you can ask for help is your professor since they are grading your work and know what they are looking for in students’ work. You can do it by attending office hours, sending an e-mail, or asking questions when introducing a new topic in the class. When you ask for help, you will have no time for procrastination but only the urge to do it and stay on top of your assignments.

Take a Well-Deserved Break

Make sure you always fit in time for relaxing among all the tasks. Short breaks will help you avoid burnout and help you feel refreshed and ready to put in the effort. Don’t compromise your well-being just to do your task. Taking a break will help you come back with a fresh outlook and new ideas, and lastly – your product will be much better and more developed.

Reward Yourself

Lastly, when you finally finish your workload, reward yourself. It doesn’t have to be extravagant; you can give yourself some time to enjoy a movie, treat yourself to a special meal or dessert, or even just take a walk if you enjoy spending time in nature. You deserve it!

Final Thoughts

It will take you lots of discipline and work to start implementing these ways in your daily study sessions, but believe us – they will be a great help. Being proactive and setting aside time for setting goals and attaining them will help you long-term and help you develop discipline and stay motivated. We wish you luck!