A Method To Madness

—  some tips & tricks to catch up with uni 

Here’s the thing: getting organised and staying on top of it isn’t exactly difficult. It takes discipline, consistency and most importantly, a system that works for you. 

With university deadlines and commitments, work shifts, social plans and everything else life throws at you, the only advice I have is to PLAN. The stress comes from not knowing how to start and cross out those million tasks you have. 

So, to cut to the chase immediately, here are some of the best ways that I’ve found to get organised and attempt to keep my life intact as a university student. 

FIRST: ZOOM OUT 

Think of this as your big-picture plan. Your calendar, essentially. It maps out everything you’ve committed to on ONE page, providing a bird’s-eye view of what’s coming up. 

The point of it all is to ensure you’re not getting caught up in what’s needed of you today and completely forgetting what’s coming up next week. So, even if it’s Monday morning and you’re only thinking of that lecture you have in two hours, see that group assignment due in two weeks. it might just give you that little nudge you need to start early. 

So where do you even start?  Honestly, a basic calendar app is more than enough. Regardless of whether you’re an iPad, MacBook, HP Omnibook or whatever-device-you-own kind of person, Google Calendar is life-changing. It’s accessible across devices, easy to update, and gives you that one central place to track your commitments. 

The golden rule? The moment you find out about assignment deadlines, upcoming meetings, or SAMM events, JOT IT DOWN. Relying on your memory to magically remind you of an event in three weeks is foolishly optimistic. But if it’s true, there’s no need for you to read this article. 

Upgrades to make to your calendar: 

• Add separate categories: One for each subject, work, club, personal plans, anything else taking up your time

• Colour-coordinate: Is it needed? Maybe not. Does it make your calendar a little easier to look at and highlight those categories and tasks? Yes.

Beyond Google Calendar, another favourite of mine is Notion. It takes a little time to get your head around the basics, but it’s incredibly useful for creating an elaborate calendar/to-do list with all individual tasks in one place. If you love having everything neatly organised in one digital space, give Notion a shot. 

YOURS TRULY, AI

If you haven't been locked in and have a mountain of overdue work piled up… use AI. Sometimes the hardest part isn't even doing the work: it’s figuring out HOW and WHEN to get through it all.

Blurt down every single assignment, unstudied lecture content, and personal commitments glaring at you and include their respective dates and times when asking AI to save you. 

Then ask it to help you build a realistic catch-up plan that fits your actual life. Also, don't get ahead of yourself by thinking you’ll study 8 hours a day without burning out. (Especially considering the mountain of work you’re dealing with is probably BECAUSE you don’t study 8 hours a day. Sorry) 

Trust me, this hack declutters the MESS and makes it a little less overwhelming. You won’t magically have fewer things to do. Rather, you’ll have a clearer idea as to how and when you’re going to tackle them.  

My current favourite is Claude. Pro Tip: ask it to make an interactive calendar so you can tweak the time allocations, move tasks around and adjust the draft it gives you. 

SECOND: ZOOM IN

Now comes the specifics: your daily plan. 

This is the one you refer to every single day to figure out what needs to get done. Your calendar might tell you that your Marketing Assignment is due next Friday, but your daily plan tells you to spend an hour researching sources today. 

Do you see the difference?

And don’t get me wrong, there WILL be days where you won’t even touch the daily plan. You’ll underestimate how long an assignment takes, get distracted, or decide you just couldn't bring yourself to do that task today. It happens. But the goal isn’t to be a productive robot. It’s to build a habit of consistently identifying your commitments and making some sort of progress. 

Depending on how much structure you need, here are my recommendations.

THE LIGHT APPROACH

If you’re someone who prefers having a clear list of things to do, without scheduling each minute of your day, this is for you. 

Any reminders app (e.g., Apple Reminders and Microsoft To Do) works well for tracking tasks without unnecessary time pressure. From small errands to deadlines, you can add anything. Check things off as you go, and keep coming back to what still needs to be done. 

Honestly, not every task needs a time slot. Sometimes, all you need is a running list of things to work through. 

Pro Tip: Prioritise your tasks instead of treating them all as equally urgent. I separate what’s time-sensitive from what can wait. Then, I work through those smaller tasks when I need a quick win, building momentum to tackle the time-consuming ones. But don't neglect that 4000-word report just because you did five quick tasks— it will not stop haunting you.

THE INTENSE APPROACH: STRUCTURED

As much as I wanted to gatekeep this app, it’s too good not to share. 

If you are looking for a schedule where you can plan every hour of your day, have it laid out visually, and receive reminders to keep you on track, Structured is for you. 

I came across this app in high school, and “game-changer” is an understatement. This app saved me on days when I had a tad too much to work on and needed an hourly plan. Add your tasks by allocating time to each one, and see your entire day mapped out on a timeline. 

One of my favourite little details is watching the task icon visually fill up as time passes. It’s a pathetically small thing, but seeing it as a lock-screen and/or home-screen widget makes following your schedule oddly satisfying. 

Of course, you don’t have to follow your schedule perfectly. If a task takes longer than expected, drag the icons around. The whole point of it is to give your day some structure.

Pro Tip: Add a break. Even if it’s 15 minutes, take it. 

The alternative? You can also use Google Calendar or Apple Calendar to allocate hourly tasks throughout the day. Just be aware that if you use either as your main calendar, it can get cluttered and overwhelming when adding the minor tasks. Personally, I prefer keeping my big-picture calendar relatively clean and using a separate platform for detailed tasks. 

At the end of the day, there isn’t a singular perfect system for getting organised. Some people thrive on colour-coordination and hourly schedules; others just need a simple written to-do list. 

The trick is knowing and remembering what you need to achieve, by when, and how you'll do it. 

Good luck with finals, everyone!!