The Secret to College Freshmen Succeeding Second Semester: Using a Planner
You barely survived first semester, and honestly maybe you secretly wish you didn’t have to go back to college. You want to change your habits and start off on the right foot, but you just don’t know how. You really do try, but nothing seems to help.
Let me stop you there and tell you that you can succeed second semester. I’m not saying this because I’m paid to (because I’m not). You honestly can drastically improve your college experience this semester, and the key to succeeding starts with one thing: a planner.
Before you stop reading in protest, hear me out. Using a planner can drastically improve your college experience. How? Planners help you succeed in these 4 ways.
4 Ways Planners Help You Succeed
1. Using a planner helps you get organized.
Before entering college you probably had little need for a planner. After all you only a few assignments to keep track of each day, but during the first semester you learned that you can’t just remember what’s due when.
If you’re a typical college student, you ditch your planner after only a few weeks. It becomes more cumbersome than helpful. You may feel like there is too much information to fit on each page, or that using one is not worth the effort.
Contrary to what it seems, using a planner consistently is actually one of the best ways to get and stay organized. More importantly, getting organized is often the secret to success in college.
Most students struggle to find a system that works for them. Today, I’m making a case for using a physical planner. Why? It helps you organize your thoughts and your work.
First, physical planners help you organize your thoughts. When I was in high school, my Algebra I instructor would always say: “The more you write, the less you have to think.” Whether this phrase was original with him or not, I have never forgotten these wise words.
So many freshmen get into trouble, because they rely on their memory. You have many other important things on which to think, so don’t clutter up your “headspace” with remembering assignments. Instead, write them down. You can always look back on a note you made in your planner later, but you can’t always recall your thoughts.
For example, I tend to think of incredibly good ideas at incredibly inconvenient times. So instead of trying to remember an idea for school paper after class, I make a note of it. I took out a piece of paper and jotted down a simple 2 or 3 word note, giving enough detail for me to recall my idea later. This way I can remember my good idea without having to rely on my tired brain.
Second, physical planners help you organize your work. By now you know that at the beginning of a college course you will receive several syllabi. These explain the course and it’s requirements. While keeping these organized and accessible is necessary and wise, using only syllabi to keep track of assignments, papers, and projects is just ridiculous.
If you want your second semester to be less chaotic and disorganized than first semester, don’t make the same mistake twice. Instead of creating a complicated spreadsheet or Google Docs form, write down your assignments in your physical planner. This process will take time, so know that it is an investment but an investment completely worth the time.
In the weekly portion of the planner, write out every assignment. Feel free to create your own abbreviations or shorthand, but do make a note of every assignment. In the monthly portion of the planner, write out the big assignments—tests, projects, presentations, papers, etc. This helps you get a mental map of the future.
The key to succeeding second semester starts with getting organized!
2. Using a planner helps you keep focused.
Even on the best of days, college is completely overwhelming. You have to juggle various responsibilities that often conflict with one another. When you feel overwhelmed, having a place to keep track of where you need to be when is incredibly helpful.
Most students struggle to maintain focus on the important things at college; after all, there’s so much going on. You have work, social, academic, and sometimes living pressures as well. But even when life is chaotic, your college professors require work from you.
So, how can you stay focused on the task at hand? Use a planner! (Do I sound like a broken record yet?) Instead of worrying about tomorrow or two months from now, staying focused on your daily tasks is a must in college. Using your planner to focus your thoughts on what needs to be accomplished by class tomorrow can help you push out the other distractions.
For example, you struggle with time management. You hate this, but you know it’s true. Instead of frantically rushing from one task to another with little strategy, you can look at your planner and see that you have some free time between your morning and afternoon classes. Because of your planning, you know what needs to be your #1 priority: reading the chapters due for your two morning classes. Only after completing these assignments should you worry about the assignments due in the later classes.
The key to succeeding second semester starts with focusing your efforts!
3. Using a planner helps you think ahead.
Honestly one of the most helpful elements of a planner is its ability to help you think. It gathers together everything for every class and puts it in one location. No more shuffling around syllabi. No more panicking to finish an assignment you forgot about. Instead you can calmly complete your assignments on time or even ahead of time.
So, what does “thinking ahead” look like? Thinking ahead means planning for the future—the known and the unknown. It means being able to get ahead enough that you can go to a party on the weekend. It means being able to work ahead so that you can meet with your teacher to review your paper. It means being prepared for the unpredictable.
Every freshman should get a “bird’s eye view” of each month. In other words, you should be able to get an idea of what’s coming up with just a glance. In the monthly part of your planner, you should make a list of all the time-consuming requirements and events. These could include work shifts, big projects, and personal events.
Writing down these requirements and events gives you a tremendous advantage. As an example, say that you look to the next month and notice that all your classes have tests during the same week. This can be exhausting. (Believe me. I’ve personally experienced it.) But instead of being caught by surprise, you can plan ahead and start studying earlier for the more difficult classes. This will planning yields much better results.
The key to succeeding second semester starts with thinking ahead!
4. Using a planner helps you see the possible.
Some freshmen (and upperclassmen) get discouraged or overwhelmed at even the sight of a course syllabi. You can get it done, but you may not see how just yet. Keep in mind that your syllabi include all of the work you will complete throughout the semester.
Using a physical planner helps to break down the towering wall over which you will climb this semester. It breaks down that elephant of a project into bite-size pieces. When you feel anxiety coming, take it one task at a time. Don’t think about tomorrow or the next day. Focus on the task at hand.
If you’ve organized out your semester in your planner, you will soon see that you can achieve all of the work but one day at a time. Instead of seeing lists of endless assignments, you see a specific list of a few assignments due this week. You will soon see that success during your second semester is possible!
When I was in high school, I thought of planners as annoying lists that controlled my day, but I soon realized they accomplished quite the opposite. Many students have a similar viewpoint: planners are a frustration and more of a hindrance than a help. However, if you use your planner well, it actually allows you to control your schedule. It gives you the freedom you need to succeed.
The key to succeeding second semester starts with seeing the possible!
You first semester may have been rough, but that horrible experience may have been the best thing to have happened to you. Why? Because it taught you what didn’t work: being disorganized. You know firsthand that college is stressful and overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. Use a planner and start second semester off on the right foot!
