What to do when everything is due

It is the week before Spring break here; which is the code for ALL OF THE PAPERS ARE DUE RIGHT NOW. There are a million and 4 things to wrap up before I hop on a plane to the sunshine state for a week. In any busy week it can be hard to find the the motivation to jump in a get done what needs to get done. In the busy week before breaks it is near impossible to stay on task, most notably a break where flip flops and tank tops are dancing in my near future.

However, "I was day dreaming about Disneyworld" is not an accepted excuse, so I have to strap in and hang on for another week. Here I will indulge you with my busy week game plan- which is every week for me.


Crack open the calendar. I open up my planner and write down every single thing that needs done this week. This includes tasks such as "E-mail Professor 'I assign too much homework'" or "Pack for trip". Anything that has to be taken care of, having it written down ensures it does not fall through the cracks. I make two lists (shown below) one for school assignments and one for miscellaneous tasks.

Break big tasks up. I have a research paper that has many components and a paper that involves watching two movies. Instead of simply putting "Movie paper" and "Content analysis" I broke the tasks down because I am more likely to look at my to-do list, see "Content analysis Introduction" and sit down and tackle it than if I were to write "Giant, scary, APA formatted research paper." I am also more likely to have a 2 hour time period to watch one movie, than I am to sit down, watch both movies and write the paper all at once. 

Make a plan. I take every single task that needs done and assign it to a day. This ensures that nothing little will fall to the wayside while I am working on the bigger tasks. Everything that needs done from answering e-mails to writing a paper will get a deadline. **Tip- cram as much as you can into the first few days of the week, you will thank yourself when on Thursday all you have is "Print paper" and "Pack for Florida" on your list! 

I go through this routine every week but I am more thorough in my execution of my plan on weeks like this one. How do you handle the crazy seasons of the semester? 

Tips for the overpacker

After posting on instagram the above picture and bragging about the amount of clothing I fit into a very small amount of space a few asked for tips; ask and you shall receive! 

My name is Emily and I am an over packer. I also like a challenge. I am off to The Netherlands for three weeks and our packing space is limited. Our professor told us that we would be better off to not wash our clothes often. It is common there to re-wear your clothes often, which I would totally be fine with if I did not A) Always spill/stain my and B) Sweat...a lot (gross, I know- but it's TRUE) To avoid appearing overly high maintenance I had to pack efficiently for optimal space in the small amount of luggage we are allowed. Challenge accepted.    

Before you start:

*Know how much space you have. I have a carry on sized suitcase that I am checking, a back pack an a purse.

Side note: If your goal is to avoid checking a bag- then skip the back pack step and fit it all in your carry on (oh and good luck!) 


*Make a list of everything and anything you will need. Down to every pair of underwear and roll of 
Chapstick. If you want to maximize space there is no room for last minute additions! Write it all down!

*Plan it all out. Plan every outfit socks, underwear and undershirtincluded. Know that you have enough outfit combinations that you will actually wear. If you have access to laundry- re-wear and mix/match. Lay out what other non-Clothing items too (important documents, laptops, Chargers, etc) Have everything planned and laid out and then organize it by which bag will hold which items.


Now it's time to pack! 

Suitcase

*Roll your clothes to save space. I always roll EVERYTHING except bulky sweaters and sweatshirts. 

*start with the essentials* Pack the important outfits, underwear, sock cosmetics you need etc first. That way- if you run out of space you do not have to unpack everything to take out something you don't need. 

*Pack your underwear/socks in your shoes to save space*

*Lay your shoes on the bottom of your suitcase and pack around them.* 

*Limit yourself to 2 pairs of shoes.* I'm traveling in the winter so I'm wearing my black boots and packing my brown ones. If you can- pack flats or flip flops (you get more options this way)

*After your shoes pack solid items* i.e. blow dryers, cosmetic bags, jewelry bags, etc creatively pack rolled clothes around the solid items and then shove any extra socks/underwear around the edges.*

*Lay sweaters or thick un-rollable items on top* 

*Pack undershirts, shorts Etc rolled in the front packet or around the edges*

*If you still have room pack non-essentials on top or around edges (scarves, etc)*

*I made sure all of my cosmetics fit into one easy bag and packed around that*

Back pack

I'm checking my carry on- so I have extra space in my back pack. My pack back has 12 outfits in it. 

*roll everything- lay it across the bottom and continue to stack up.* I fit as much as I could into back pack. Bonus points because it's extra light and will be way to carry.

Note: If you wanted to pack just in your back pack, pack halfway up and add in your cosmetic bag and you're good to go!

Purse

I saved this for last- that way anything left over, extra or deemed non essential may still have hope to tag along in your travels 

*All fragile, important or necessary documents items should be in your purse or carry-on bag*

*Folder with important documents, passport, trip itinerary, birth certificate, etc*

*Books, Journals, things for the flight, etc*

*Laptop, cell phone, camera, etc*

*All of your chargers and electronic accessories*

*EMPTY water bottle (until you go through security)*

*Wallet, Credit Cards, ID, etc) 

*Make sure there is nothing sharp, all liquids and medications are packed according to TSA regulations*

A few extra tips

*Be sure to have at least one full outfit in your carry on in the event they lose your checked bag*

*Make sure to weigh your checked luggage BEFORE you go to the airport. That is the worst time to realize your bag is over weight*

*Do not put anything in your checked bag you are not willing to go without. Including ID, wallet, keys, medications*

*Wear your bulkiest outfit on your flight there and back- it will save space in your luggage*

*If you have more than one thick sweater or jacket that will not fit; wear one and carry one over your arm. No one will notice and it will save space*

Semester Essentials {What's in my back pack}

{Planner} I never go anywhere without my planner. Right now I use the At-A-Glance student planner. I'm pleased with it and I like the size. Next year I plan on trying an Erin Condren life planner. 

{Small Notebook} I use a small spiral bound notebook for my lists. I split mine into four categories of lists. I ALWAYS have this with me. {Example here}

{Water Bottle} I try, keyword 'try', to always have my water bottle with me. I try to drink the 32 oz bottle 3 times as well as match the ounces of caffeine I drank with water. 

{Laptop} This is a no brainer. Always brings your laptop and charger. If I ever find myself needing to kill time I can get work done. 

{Also inside} I always have:

> Mechanical pencils

> Headphones

>Cash

>Keys, Student ID and wallet

> Class materials 

To Do List love

  

I have a planner for my calendar, reading assignments work schedule, nanny schedule, appointments and major due dates. 

Then I have a notebook that is broken into 4 sections:

{Remember this}

{To Do Lists}

{Exam/Project Lists}

{Random Lists}

For my To-Do section I like to take al of the information on my calandar and put it down in a list so it's all ordered in one place. 

                               

I use a different color for each class, red for the urgent items and normal pencil for things that need done this week but doesn't matter when. Then of course I doodle on it to procrastinate the things on my list. 

Life Management Binder for the College Student

Real talk for a moment: college is hard. It is nothing like high school and it's hard. College with ADHD is a whole new level of challenging. It feels paralyzingly impossible at first. My first semester I was handed a syllabus for all six of my classes. With the reading and assignments for the whole semester. That I have to keep track of in that planner I never opened past the first week in September. And I have to read 450 pages a night. In an environment with 50 other people around. all. the. time. It took dropping out, coming back, getting on medication and serious dedication to actually feel like I wasn't drowning.

It's a learning curve and it takes a lot of patience to find what works for you. One significant change I made was in the way of organization. Sometimes I felt so terribly dumb and behind because I learned differently and struggled to stay organized. There is NOTHING wrong with taking charge of your education even if it is in a different manner than that of your peers. 

On Pinterest I kept coming across "home management binders" and thought "college kids need this". After searching and searching I couldn't find one so I made my own. In this post I will give an outline of what I did to organize the important things in my life. I will include the printables in the future.

My binder has:

-A cute title page
-Tabs and sticky notes
-Class Schedule
-Textbook rentals
-Shopping List
-Meal planning
-Bank Account Information
-A folder insert for important documents

First, I made a pretty front page so I would actually want to open it.

Flawless, I know.

I have tabs and sticky notes I use to mark/note anything throughout the binder. (Note: I ended up using these less than I thought I would. I realized later they were more for show ;) 

I also keep a master list of my class schedule in my binder. The first few weeks of the semester it's helpful to have the class times, room numbers and professors names. I also keep their e-mail/office hours written down here so it's easy to reference. 

I rent my textbooks and I frequently forget where they're from and when to return them. I have learned the hard way that the "late fee" is not a joke. I keep this list of my rented books and when they're due so at the end of the semester I am not scrambling to return them. 

This is the first year I don't have a meal plan so grocery shopping and cooking is all new to me. However, I generally eat the same things on a daily basis. I wrote out a general shopping list to have so I can plan ahead for cost, where to shop, etc. 

Every Sunday I take the time to plan our my meals so I know what to buy or the ensure I won't be making any last minute stops for food. 

I have multiple bank accounts and I lose track of things easily so it is helpful for me to have all of this information in one place.

I have a pocket to keep all of my important things. I have my check books, my passport, my passport pictures, my social security card. I also have two envelopes one for my checks and cash to go into my account and one for tips from work. 

My organizational system is ALWAYS changing but this is how I keep my most important documents and information straight. Other management binders might include a calendar, a planner or an assignment list. I have a very specific calendar system that I may share in the future- so I don't keep that in my binder. 

How do you you stay organized? How do you manage ADHD in college?