6 Ways to Be Productive in College

Happy Saturday! I’ve been talking a lot recently about how busy this time of year is for most people. I’m a college student and in my senior year. The work load is definitely becoming more difficult and time consuming as the year goes on. I have less than two months left of this semester. I’m somehow already thinking about finals! So how do you stay productive when you have a million things to do? How do you be productive with your time? Well, I’m going to tell you! For Blogtober Day Twenty, I’m sharing 6 ways to be productive in college!

Regardless of what year of college you are in, these six tips will help you maximize your time and in turn, help you produce better grades for your classes! Want more college blog posts to read? Check out 6 Successful Strategies for College Students here!

Blogtober Day Twenty

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**Put Everything on Your To-Do List**

I love making lists. I make them for every possible thing I can. When I make a to-do list, I write down everything single thing I need to do. That includes making dinner, emailing someone back, taking a shower, etc. Then, put a star next to everything you have to do that specific day and get to those first. Such as an assignment due that day. Some of those things I will 100% get to, such as making dinner or doing that assignment. It feels great being able to cross that off the list. Some days I don’t have time to get to everything, like cleaning the bedroom. When I see all of the things that I was able to do that day, it puts me in a better mindset to want to finish the rest of the list!

Do the Hardest Thing First

It’s so easy to want to work on the “easy” things first. I’d much rather clean my bedroom than write a paper. But that paper is way more important than if I hang up my laundry piling up on the bed! Once you make that to-do list and star everything that has to get done that day, do the hardest thing first! Maybe you need to write an eight page paper due at midnight and need do a 200 word discussion post online. Do the 8 page paper first! It will take the most time and will take up a majority of your energy. Even if you are mentally exhausted by the end of it, that 200 word discussion post will look like nothing!

Know Your Best Times

I’m a morning person. I prefer to wake up early and get everything I need to get done for the day finished. Like right now, I’m writing this at 7:30 am! I do not do well in the evenings. I am exhausted by the time 8 pm roles around, so I don’t do my best work. Figure out what time of day works best for you and work on the most important things on your to-do lists then. See if you can try scheduling your classes at that time too! The things that don’t require a lot of brain power, I do during my “worst” times- the evening. This would include cleaning or organizing my apartment.

Keep Track of Assignments

Having a planner or some sort of way where you can organize everything that is due in a semester is so essential to being productive for a college student. When you get a syllabus, write down every single thing that is due for the semester. You’ll be able to have a quick glance and see what is due in the upcoming weeks. Being productive means being productive with your time. I’d much rather get started on a project that’s two weeks away than save it for the last minute. I like to be able to visually see all my class assignments in one place. I love using a bullet journal and a Happy Planner to keep track of all my assignments due.

Break Up The Workload

Have you ever looked at everything you have to do and felt so overwhelmed you didn’t even want to start? I have 100% been there! Taking breaks throughout the time you are working on something will actually help your productivity. This ties in closely with keeping track of assignments. If you know you have a big project due in 2 weeks, break it up and work on sections at a time. Not only will you be able to finish it on time, you’ll be able to turn in work that you were able to give your all to it. I find that when I do this, I produce better quality of work.

Clear Distractions

I am not the type of person who goes on their phone while they study. It’s the space I am in that creates the distractions for me. If I see a dirty kitchen or unmade bed, I want to do those first before I study. I’m getting distracted by the mess, so I want to clean it up. Before I set down to study, I like to clean up the space around me. I’ll try to do this as soon as I know I’m going to sit down to work on an assignment. This can also include my desk which becomes cluttered way too often! Figure out what distractions actually distract you. Maybe it is your phone, turn it on airplane mode or set it across the room. Perhaps it’s seeing your email inbox full of emails, quickly reply to those. Maybe you are distracted by noise, put on some noise cancelling headphones and get to work!