Guide to organization during finals week

By JOSHUA STALEY

Staff Writer

As a senior here at Mary Washington, I’ve been through enough finals weeks to say that they are always terrible. Finals can decide your fate when it comes to passing your classes, so the stress and studying can really get to a student. Keeping organized throughout finals week and the rest of the semester is one thing that can help, not just when it comes to studying, but also in your everyday life.

Everything has its place

It’s important to keep a clean and organized space when living here on campus. Dorm rooms are small, so if you do not have some form of system going, things can easily snowball into a huge mess that can cause you and your roommate stress.

”Everything has a place,” said senior math and international relations major Gail Crunkhorn. “My keys always go either on the hook or in a specific pocket in my backpack. My wallet also has a designated spot. My work purse lives solely in one corner of my closet. My important stuff does not move unless I’m using it, and when I’m done, whatever it is goes right back to where it lives.”

Utilize your desk in a productive and efficient way as well. By keeping clutter out of the way and important study material right in arms reach, you can always find what you need right when you need it during finals week.

Get back to basics

Sometimes it can be best to get back to basics and use paper and pen when trying to organize your schedule. Buying a cheap agenda and keeping up to date with it on a daily basis will surely help anyone when struggling to organize their schedule for finals week.

“I have an agenda, and each class has its own color,” said sophomore biology major Alexie Burleson. “Work is another color, sports another, miscellaneous etc. Also, when I’m taking notes, definitions are in green, theorems in purple, so on. It makes looking for stuff a lot easier and it helps me compartmentalize.”

It also might be helpful to purchase a large desk calendar to keep important events and due dates right in front of you while studying. Plus, writing things down can help you remember them for a longer period of time.  Writing out a schedule will also help to keep you on track when studying for finals.

“When I have a bunch of assignments to do, I will block out exactly what needs to happen and when I’m going to do it in my calendar,” said senior English major Shyan Murphy. “It helps me avoid forgetting to do things and keeps me on track.”

Use technology

If using paper and pen something you can’t get behind or simply can’t keep up with, use your smart devices to help you stay organized. We all have phones and computers, all of which come with some sort of calendar or reminder app. If you are in class or in the library and find a new due date or activity you need to attend, just whip out your phone and enter it in immediately. Making this into a habit insures that, wherever you go, you will always have your calendar or agenda with you.