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Today’s post is by campus correspondent Tiffany Lorente. Find out how you can become a campus correspondent, too!
Family members call me Tiffany Tupperware because I am too organized for them to fully comprehend. As a senior in high school who is in the middle of college application season, I know firsthand how important it is to be systematic.
Being organized is one of the keys to being successful mainly because it saves time and causes less confusion. High school and college students sometimes underestimate how overwhelming messes can become. Neat freaks everywhere brag about their skills in making any disaster into something fantastic. Here are a few of my favorite tips for keeping things in order.
From To-Do to Ta-Da!
Lists are your best friend when it comes to completing any task in life. Have you ever been told something and you think to yourself, “I’ll remember that,” and then when you really need to remember you don’t? That has happened to everyone at least once. It usually happens less to those who write everything that needs to be done down.
For example, all over the internet there are free printable templates available that can be used by everyone as to-do lists. Listing the tasks by priority is also very efficient. Crossing things off your to-do list turns that list into the ta-da list! Finishing your homework is more important than washing dishes, unless your only option is to eat from the same bowl as the dog. In that case you will appreciate the next tip.
Don’t Procrastinate!
Procrastinating is the enemy of everything. Leaving things for tomorrow that can be done today is basically asking for an emergency. Some professors and teachers don’t consider emergencies what was in fact lack of preparation on your part. Those pesky tasks that stack up are truly a nuisance because they keep you up at night.
Doctors have even conducted studies that have demonstrated that the little tasks, which take virtually no time to complete, are a huge source of stress. Sleep is so valuable in high school and college that managing to squeeze in five extra minutes is more precious than anything else in the world. Wash the dishes, pick your clothes out the night before and try to start homework assignments the night they are assigned.
Invest in Labels
Friends of mine walk out of my closet astonished at the fact that all of my shoe boxes are labeled. Knowing what is inside a box saves time, and saving time means more time to do something you enjoy. I’m pretty sure that rummaging through boxes at wee hours of the morning is not the ideal hobby.
Labeling binders, dividers, boxes and bins makes life a breeze. Many office supply stores sell labels where you can print the name that you would like to give the box or you can handwrite it. The system of labeling binders means you will most likely take the correct binder to class and you will be prepared when the teacher surprises the students with binder checks. Isn’t life grand when you’re organized?
Tiffany Lorente is a senior at Coral Reef. Writing has always been one of her passions, as well as communicating information to those around her. She believes that hard work and being organized are essential to life. Her family is her support team, and she does everything to make her parents proud.