by Amy Carlon
For those students already stressing about session one (where did the holidays go?) and for the overly organised like myself, here are a few ways to organise your work load for uni. These are just a few things I do to make sure I’m ready to tackle the next session.
Assessment maps
One of the most helpful things to manage your time is an assessment map! An assessment map is a calendar that gives you an overview of the entire year. This way, you get the ‘big picture’, so you know what you’re in for and how long you’ve got to spend on each assignment. All you need to do is add in your assessments and viola – you’re organised. This gives you a big picture of what you’re in for, and how long you have to spend on each assessment.
Print your subject outline
At the beginning of each session, print out your subject outlines and highlight important information such as what textbooks you’ll need and required readings. This will give you a good understanding of each subject and what you’ll be doing over the next 12 weeks.
You can also create folders with colour-coded dividers to separate large amounts of notes for each subject. This way you can order them by week, making it easier to find any info you might need during class.
Update your calendar
I’m personally not a diary person, instead I keep all my appointments in my calendar on my phone. But I suggest having some sort of calendar. You could either use your phone, tablet, or diary. This way you’ll remember to actually submit an assignment, even if you’ve already completed it before the due date (surely I’m not the only person who has forgotten to actually submit the assignment).
Make a copy of your referencing guide
This is a must. You should always have your referencing guide either on hand (printed) or saved (bookmarked). Endnote is a handy program that’ll make your life easier by taking the time out of referencing. This program would be particularly handy for a science student.
Here’s a platform where you can access the APA referencing guide.
Use Turnitin
Referencing goes hand-in-hand with Turnitin. Use Turnitin to upload your work and check your references for plagiarism. It’s a great resource to help make sure you haven’t accidently used info that’s not your own or tell you if you haven’t included a reference at all. CSU takes referencing and originality seriously, so I encourage you to stay on top.
Getting through university is all about managing your time to meet deadlines (and trying to have social life at the same time). This way you’ll be prepared for when the time finally comes to put on the gown and trencher and step into the real world (eek). Everyone has their own ways to keep organised, but I’ve certainly loved receiving advice along the way.
