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When our brains get overwhelmed by everything we have to do in college, they have a tendency to shut down. You can’t afford for your brain to take a vacation – you need it to finish all of your work. A little organization and structure will go a long way in keeping you productive. With the right tools in your toolbox, you’ll be able to finish anything.
1. Learn With Your Phone
You have plenty of apps on your phone that you can use to keep in touch with your friends and family, and even some you use just to help you waste some time. Have you ever used an app to study? Note taking apps and flashcard generating apps make it convenient to study from anywhere. Many of them will even sync to your computer, allowing you to import the study materials you already have handy.
2. Get a Planner
A planner is an old school productivity tool, but it’s making a big comeback. People really love decorating their planners, but they don’t need to look pretty to work well. By writing down all of your plans, including your assignment deadlines, it will be easier for you to keep track of your responsibilities before they have a chance to smother you.
3. Meal Planning Apps
Believe it or not, meal planning apps will make your life a lot easier. A lot of people are more health conscious now, and you can benefit from technology. Even if you aren’t looking to shed a few pounds, meal planning apps come with tons of advantages. You’ll be able to keep up with your grocery shopping and prep your meals ahead of time. You won’t find yourself studying until midnight and settling on delivery pizza or junk food when you feel overwhelmed.
4. Budgeting Apps
You need food, you need books, and you desperately need a new pair of sneakers. You may feel like you need to choose one or the other if your money gets scrambled up in the confusion of college life. Budgeting on paper is difficult to keep up with. Budgeting apps make it a lot easier to keep track of where all of your money is going. You’ll be less likely to ask your parents for a last minute loan if you have easy access to the full scope of your finances.
5. Anki
Anki is a flashcard deck program that’s easy to set up. You can choose from any of their preloaded decks, or create your own. It’s great to use when learning a foreign language, as many of the language packs come with audio clips of native speakers pronouncing the words. It’s a lot more immersive than reading plain text – the verbal accompaniment will enrich the learning experience.
6. Old Fashioned To Do Lists
Who wouldn’t benefit from a to do list? Whether you manually write out the things you need to accomplish on a piece of paper, use an app, or get yourself a huge chalkboard, it will help you keep track of all the small things that have been piling up while you’ve been focused on the bigger stuff. You got the grade you wanted on that huge project, but how long has it been since you’ve done your laundry? Don’t let the mundane chores slip away.
7. Fitness Trackers
Whether you wear one of those tracking bracelets or use an app on your phone, you’d be surprised how much good it does for your life. Focusing on exercise can help boost your cognition, providing you with the energy you need to take on the day. You’ll never be productive if you feel tired and bogged down all the time. Your health is more important than you may realize.
By focusing on becoming more productive now, you’ll already be set when you graduate and land the career you’ve always dreamed of. It’s never too early to begin forming lifelong good habits.
This article was contributed by guest author Sarah Davies.