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Manage More Than Just Your Time |
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Contributed by Huma Rashid
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By now, you’ve hopefully gained valuable insight to improving your
organizational and time management skills. This is very important
because once you perfect a method to do this that works for you, you
will most likely be able to find time to get everything on those
extensive To Do lists accomplished. Even if that turns out not to be
true, you will be well aware of what you need to accomplish in how much
time and you will have the ability to make it happen. If you have to
stay up a little later that usual or skim through some reading material
instead of carefully absorbing it (news flash: you won’t be alone),
that unfortunately comes with the territory. You’re a college kid
now—you’re supposed to be overworked and under-rested! Put on some
concealer and grab an iced macchiato—no one will notice.
Oh, Those Marvelous Mass Merchandise Stores!
It’s true: normally, we would pick up our lofty, unrealistic principles
and wave them over our heads as we decry the evils of Wal-mart not only
as an unfair employer but a cultural and economic hegemonic outlet.
But when it comes time to buy those school supplies, that’s exactly
where we’re going! (We’ve managed to come to terms with the hypocrisy.)
Chances are, you’re going to be taking three or four courses per
semester. To help stay organized, you might want to get a separate
three-ring binder for each course in addition to your notebooks. You
can always insert your single-subject notebook into the three-ring
binder and three-hole punch a folder or two to keep all handouts, the
syllabus, exam papers, and anything else your professor might hand out.
Label each binder with the name of the course and put your name and
student email or other suitable contact information (cell phone,
perhaps, or dorm address) in case of loss. Also write down the
professor’s name, email, office hours, cell phone number, and anything
else that might be pertinent. You might also want to collect the
contact information of another student in this class so that if you
miss a day, you can find out what was covered.
Bring your binder to class every day and take notes in your notebook.
Try to date your notes; this will make it easier if you have to find
out which days’ notes you’re missing. It will also make studying and
reviewing before an exam easier.
If you do not like notebooks, and many people do not, use a stack of
loose-leaf paper instead. Just insert a stack into your binder and use
it to take notes on. If your folders become heavy and thick during the
year, decide which handouts you can take out and keep in your room. Be
careful not to loose these: the best way to keep track is to get one of
those multi-slot standing folders (or a file cabinet, if you have room,
or hanging folders for a desk drawer) and insert one subject into each
slot throughout the semester or year.
These binders will be a big help all year, and if you have not enrolled
in an Ethics course, you might think it all right to sell them to
another student at the end of the course, although we in no way condone
that! And it’s certainly not how we passed MTH 310, so just put it out
of your head!
Additional Supplies
While the binders are going to make your courses (and your life) so
much easier, there are going to be a few more things you should
consider picking up from your local mass merchandise store.
- Graphing calculator (if you are enrolled in math courses,
this is going to be mandatory; check your syllabus or with your
professor to see which type is preferred)
- Extra packs of loose-leaf paper (you can never have enough!)
- Wristwatch (we bet you already have one, but still. This
will come in handy to know when it’s Kosher to start packing up for the
day; it’ll also help if you watch movies for class and are expected to
keep notes to be used for citation purposes later; just make sure you
have one and don’t have to keep pulling out your cell phone because
that’s rude and annoying)
- LOTS of pens (you might be in the habit of using pencils,
and if so, go for it, but most students generally use pens for note
taking. Get two boxes full; you’ll lose one and be really glad for the
one you have left)
- Backpack (you’ll have tons of stuff to carry; why not make
it easier on yourself? Just remember not to stuff yours so much that
you have a Quasimodo-thing going on)
These are the basics. You will most likely not need much else. It’s not
like you’ll have projects due every week (or, very unlikely) that
you’ll need glue sticks, construction paper, and crazy scissors for.
Make sure you’re well stocked in terms of paper and writing utensils
and you’ll be set.
And if you’re not, just head out to that mass merchandise store we’re all so opposed to but thankful for.
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