If you’ve ever owned a kitten or known someone who has owned a kitten, you know how very curious kittens can be. Everything is a playground and a new adventure. Everything is a challenge and each feat feels victorious.
After graduating from high school, you’re the kitten and college is your playground. You are independent and you decide how you play and what you do. Even if you do not move away for college, the life you've known will transform.
That game is different for everyone, so what can you do to prepare when you may not even know what exactly to expect?
Organizational skills can make you a better player. Organizing your time, managing coursework and planning social activities are all part of playing the game, no matter what it throws at you.
In college, you choose your own schedule that you must abide by. So, start now.
Take charge of your schedule and use a calendar to plan your courses, homework time, sports games or practice, social events and even vacation time with family. Add doctor’s appointments and other important events such as birthdays to your schedule. In college, you’ll be planning your day on your own and it can be very overwhelming if you’re doing this for the first time with high stakes. Being ready to play the game will lead to success in planning coursework and maintaining your schedule just as you like it.
If you spend some time developing your organizational skills, you’ll learn how much time you need to complete a task. You will also learn how good you are at following a schedule. You might find that just putting things on the calendar is not enough.
When setting up your calendar, add reminders to the events. Download a calendar app on your phone and set your calendar to send automatic reminders to your devices such as your phone, tablet and computer. Feel free to set multiple reminders for certain events such as exams and other ongoing activities. Try to remain cognizant and notice when you are procrastinating, so you can rearrange your schedule. Slowly build the habit to check your calendar before scheduling something new.
Just like the kitten, you’ll learn more when you’re exploring in college. You’ll make new friends and find new hobbies. You might even have to cook your own food for the first time. You’ll face challenges that seem insurmountable and you’ll take leaps of faith to achieve your goals. Working on your organizational skills will help you know more about yourself when you enter college. This way you can play the game more efficiently and enjoy the experience even more.
