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In my years before entering year 11 and year 12, my studies were going decent. I had great friends, I was late infrequently and most of all, I was pretty happy with life. However, entering year 11 and year 12, I gained an infamous reputation for being late and sleepy to every class. Because of this reputation, teachers started commenting how I looked ‘disorganised’ and even started making fun of my morning coffees! This frustrated me to no end, and I felt helpless in my own situation. How can everyone do this easy thing, but I can’t? (This feeling is generalisable to many others, such as academia or fitting in as examples)
However, without being so disorganised, I doubt I would’ve ever become as organised as I am now. At the end of HSC, I was somehow able to improve all my subject grades continually throughout year 12 whilst undergoing intense anxiety from personal matters. This is not to say that we need extreme stress to do good, but a reflection of how proper organisation can help us immensely through difficult times. So, what are some ways you can improve your organisation?
Invest in a calendar!
No organised person goes about without a calendar of some sorts. I learned quickly why teachers carried around a big file that carried all due dates they had to deal with early on. When schooling starts to get more serious, it is so crucial that you note down details to the tee so that you don’t do an assignment wrong.
A dedicated calendar will allow you to have everything in one place. Questions, due dates, tutor times, homework, family commitments and even relaxation and family time will all be visible there. This reduces your mental bandwidth, allowing you to focus on what matters.
Some of the best calendar apps out there and what makes them stand out can be seen below. Which ones do you think would work for you?
1. Google Calendar (easy and intuitive to use, clearly blocked out time schedules, integrated reminders)
2. Todoist (tasks can be divided into subtasks and projects, many different labels for subjects, able to check off tasks)
3. Apple Calendar ( Simple and clean user interface, deep integration with Apple ecosystem, only for IOS)
4. Structured (Tasks set by the hour, clean and efficient layout, flexibility is ensured as you can move tasks around easily)
As someone who values a routine but also can adapt to changes, I am a fan favourite of Structured. It lets me slot in tasks whenever I want in-between routines, and change my routine if things come up.
Concept has also covered similar topics in our 2 blogs below, so check it out!
https://www.concepteducation.com.au/blog-posts/5-easy-tips-to-stay-organised
https://www.concepteducation.com.au/blog-posts/how-do-i-create-my-perfect-schedule
Looking at the right marking criteria
You wouldn’t assess the literary techniques of a Maths Advanced Preliminary exam. Yet, so many people judge themselves based on criterias that are inherently things we can’t control. Wanting to “get rank 1 in the next maths exam” or “beat person X in Y subject/s” are not good metrics to use because we have absolutely no control over other people’s performance. If the cohort is the cream of the crop for one year, then you may get rank 50. But if they’re horrible in another, you might get rank 1 even if your performance is the same.
The point is that what you should be comparing yourself to is the best version of yourself, not another person’s best version. Chasing ideals set by other people will breed dissatisfaction in all parts of your life, and will lead to unhealthy habits such as insomnia, procrastination or even depression. Realising that I was following the standards set by others was the first step to making a schedule that truly worked for me, instead of chasing social pressures.
The Holy Trinity (food, exercise, sleep)
If you forget everything else in this article, do not forget the Holy Trinity of good scheduling. The basic needs of our body will determine whether you get your schedule worked out, or not. I forsake all 3 during senior years, and the worst moments of my life played out in front of me because my body and everything except me was controlling my schedule. The best quote I have heard about taking care of yourself is:
“If you don’t pick a day to relax, your body will pick it for you”
After taking care of my nutrition, exercise and sleep schedule, I’m now able to balance both part-time work and an intense 5 day university schedule, as well as volunteering and work experience on the side. Something so unimaginable to me in HSC was born precisely because I failed to manage my schedule then. Mark your failures as opportunities to grow, and you’ll open yourself to the best version of you!
Want to discuss the next step? Reach out to Concept at https://www.concepteducation.com.au/enquire or email us at admin@concepteducation.com.au - we're always happy to help!
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