Back-to-School Strategies for Students to Stay Organized

By Colin Ward | Published February 16, 2023

Students at Kean University are slowly adjusting to being back on campus again. The quick transition from winter break to being back in the classroom could make it easy for students to fall behind academically. 

With this sudden change of pace, students need to stay focused and organized, especially at the beginning of the semester. No one wants an early setback that’s going to hinder the course of their entire semester. 

Students are juggling their jobs, relationships, and family lives, while still getting their schoolwork done. This can be overwhelming at times. Rocco Tarquiro, a senior history major at Kean Ocean does not intend to overwhelm himself with all of his responsibilities. 

“A relatively simple way for me to not get stressed is making sure I keep it realistic,” Tarquiro said. “I try to keep a healthy balance between schoolwork, work, and family matters. I try not to front load or back load all the schoolwork.” 

Starting an assignment the night before it’s due is an example of procrastination. Not putting in enough time or effort can negatively affect a student’s grade. 

According to some students at Kean, procrastination is one of the main causes of failure for them. Brandon Ryan, a senior marketing major at Kean Ocean, has had issues with procrastination for the entirety of his college career. 

“I have always been a huge procrastinator,” Ryan said. “I’m focusing on fixing that.” 

A way Ryan is trying to fix his procrastination problem is by taking better notes in the classroom. For him, note-taking helps him remember what was taught during the lectures and keeps him organized. 

“I stay organized by taking notes for the harder classes, like math or business, with a pen and paper,” Ryan said. “For other classes, I’ll take notes right on my laptop.” 

Staying organized throughout the semester can give students a better chance of being successful. Taking notes in class is a good starting point, but there is more that can be done to become more organized this semester. 

“I literally forget everything I’m told within twenty minutes,” Lauren Poulillo, a junior marketing major at Kean Ocean said. “To stay organized with assignments and exams, I use an online planner on my laptop religiously.” 

These online planners act as digital calendars. The student can plug in any assignments that are due or events they need to attend on a given day. The calendar sends the student a notification when something is coming up, so they won’t fall behind. 

“I keep all my assignments and exams in one calendar, so I’m not surprised by any exams,” Poulillo continued. “I can complete all my assignments over a spread-out period of time, instead of all in one day because I forgot about them.”

Success is obtainable this semester. Eliminating stress and not being overwhelmed is a vital part of that. Not procrastinating, taking good notes, and becoming better organized with a planner may just change the trajectory of the entire semester. 

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