A Guide to Planning Your Week

It’s Monday and we’re all tired.  We have tons to do this week but we really don’t know how much.  Not until we’re stressing the night before trying to do 100 different things to get ready for class the next day.  By now we all have those super cute Lilly Pulitzer or Vera Bradley Agendas that we start out using and maybe even write our assignments in but let’s face it, those things really don’t help.  If you’re anything like me then you do what everyone suggest you do and write on each day what is due.  This is so unhelpful in so many different ways.  What we really need is a guide to follow through the week so we’re not stressing the night before something is due to complete it.  So I figured out an easy way to compile a list for the week to go off of. 
Firstly, go get those syllabi you threw under some binder.  For the week that it is 2/9/15-2/15/15 skim and highlight each week listed on your syllabus.  So you see things like Exam 2 for Wednesday 2/11/15 and Homework due Friday 2/13/15.  Now you’re stressed but don’t worry! It’s only Monday and things are about to get easier.

Write down each thing you have to do for this week.  Including all assignment, all homework questions, all tests, everything you have to do on one sheet of paper like I have above.


Now, think about your daily schedule.  For example, I know I have to work on Monday from 7AM-2:30 PM and I have no classes on Monday so I know that I have the rest of the evening to do homework. I label at the top of a new sheet of paper Monday:, I write underneath Work 7-2:30, underneath that out of the margin line I write the class name “Justice Science:” I write Draft Discussion 1 which is also one of the things I put on my “to-do list” sheet.  Since that’s the only thing I really need to do in that class for today I go onto the next subject. I write out in the margins Statistics: and inside the margins I write the percentage of homework I want to get done today.  This goes on and on until I get through with each subject.  Since my test in ES lab is Wednesday, I do all of the ES lab homework tonight since I know the deadline isn’t too far away. 
I continue to write out the rest of my week as I did for Monday considering the time I have for each task.  Since Tuesday is busier than Monday I have less things on my list to do and since Wednesday is almost completely free I have a larger list than both Monday and Tuesday.  This list provides me with confidence in knowing I have scheduled each task out and assures me that I can meet my deadlines in a timely manner.  Once I finish things off of the list I will put a check mark beside each task symbolizing that I have completed the job. 

If you are an avid user of your agenda you can also copy each day’s task onto the day you have assigned.  This list allows you to compile a more detailed list of things you need to do each day and takes you away from that panic that you get when you think you’re not going to have enough time to complete an assignment. 

As always just for you,

M.