The transition to college is a big adjustment with dozens of loose strings, extensive lists of things to remember, and a brand new workload that’s hard to manage. Here are the layouts I used to prep for college, plan my dorm room, and organize my week.
1. Semester Layout
Having an overview of your academic week is essential to staying organized. By having your semester at a glance, you can visually see what days are busier than others and adjust your workload accordingly. For example, on Monday, I have quite a few classes. But on Tuesday, there’s a significant break in between my first and second class. This time is perfect for catching up on Monday’s work.
2. Dorm Purchase and Pack List
This spread was invaluable to me as I prepped for attending college. Moving from home into a new (much tinier space) involves lots of odd ends and new purchases. I kept one side for everything that had to be new, and then the other for things I already had but might not remember to pack. This was a working rough draft before consolidating into one final packing list. Prepare for a dozen Target bags on your bedroom floor.
3. Your Ideal Week
Managing your time in college is very different from managing your time in high school. You’re responsible for your own meals, you might have to build in exercise if you’re no longer in a sport, and there are dozens of opportunities for studying that could easily be spent watching The Office on Netflix.
BONUS: I created a digital, printable spread of this layout for you to use. Once you subscribe to this blog, you will receive a password that grants access to resources like this.
4. Weekly Log and Overview
One main concern of bullet journaling in college is the time it demands. I think if you manage your time well, it’s more than possible. But this weekly overview and running log is a perfect, quick, and efficient way to manage your tasks.
The top section is for your new classes and possible work schedule. As you adjust to the new commitments, it’s wonderful to have this spot for quick reference.
If you’re not familiar with the running task list, Buzzfeed has a great article about it. I found this perfect as it allowed for flexibility with tasks rather than putting it under a certain day of the week.
5. Attendance Log
It’s rumored that my Christian school is more particular with attendance than other schools…regardless, all of my professors are very particular. I suffer from chronic migraines and would miss up to 11 days a trimester during my senior year of high school. To avoid this, I developed a tracker to guarantee that I was going to class every day and to have a log of my allotted absences.
Grayed out boxes mean we didn’t have classes that day. Thank you, Labor Day!
6. Study Log
The rumors are true. College is much more about studying and reading than actual homework assignments. This spread serves two purposes for me: I want to make sure that I’m using my time wisely, and I also want to see what classes are the most demanding in my weeks. The colors coincide with my attendance tracker.
7. Dorm Room
It was essential that I had a place for everything in my dorm room, and an idea of how to clean it. I’m not a natural neat freak, but I start to malfunction if my environment is too messy.
And there you have it! Drop a comment below if there are any other spreads that have helped you in college, or if you have any questions on the six above.
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