Organizing Tips for College Freshman
It’s almost that time to set your college freshman off! It is a bit scary, a bit exciting and a bit overwhelming for you and for them. It takes time to get ready for freshman year, so now is the time to get started. Here are a few tips for organizing your college freshman.
- Your child will be sharing a space that is a little bigger than their bathroom at home with a new roommate. Remember to connect with your new roommate as soon as possible to determine who is bringing what for their room. Most kids want their own laptops and ipads, but refrigerators and microwaves are easily shared. College essentials also include a shower caddy and laundry basket. as well as sewing kit, some medicines and quarters. The Container Store check list can be a big help too! http://images.containerstore.com/medialibrary/pdf/tips/CollegeChecklist2012.pdf
- Your time is your own in college and being productive throughout the week is important. Use a grid from a week at a glance calendar and fill in your classes, then your study time, then your other responsiblities like laundry, meals and activities. This way you can see what your week will look like and where you will have time to get everything complete. Choose a great planner to transfer this plan and to keep assignments and syllabus. For each assignment, be sure to write everything in the same calendar. You will see where assignments from different classes overlap. Being organized is more than organizing your stuff, it is also organizing your time. Need a time grid to practice on? Just email me and I will send you one!
- Organizing your papers in college means stepping up your filing system. Purchase a small box file to keep important documents like college forms, rental agreements, and more. For your academic papers, you can continue with a binder or switch to colored folders, one for each class. Take a few minutes each week to review what is in each folder and being sure that papers are kept in the right spot.
- Keep all your contacts in your phone. Contacts include email, phone numbers and even addresses. Having these all in one spot makes it each to stay connected. Add these right away when you get information so you don’t need slips of paper.
- Give yourself the gift of order each week. Spend a few minutes looking ahead in your calendar, getting papers back together, and planning on the next steps. You will be so glad you did!
Do you have ideas to share with new college freshman?
Reading this takes me back to my own days as a student. I found a nifty little coilbound notebook, small enough to fit in my purse, that was perfect for keeping track of all my assignments. Looking back, it seems very simple, but at the time, I thought it was the greatest thing ever!
Me too! I loved having a little something to write down assignments. And in those times that was all we needed. Thanks for sharing!
Love how you’re shared a bunch of great tips, but not so many that they overwhelm. We sent both our daughters off to college with a portable file box with hanging files set up with important documents and system for tracking their papers. It worked great for them. Why can’t all my papers fit in one small file box? One can dream, right?
Its true, taking a few minutes once a week to get themselves organized, and that truly is a gift.
Yes it is! Thanks for sharing!
If only all our papers could! Thanks for sharing!