How to Form a Productive and Organized Weekly Routine in College

Hi everyone, happy Fall! Today we will be discussing how to incorporate productivity and organization into your daily and weekly routines! 

Even if you’re not the most organized person or find it hard to stay motivated for tasks like homework, cleaning, or studying, these tips will help you to stay on track! 

Going to college, I was worried about managing tasks, and balancing my social and academic responsibilities as I experience symptoms of ADHD.

However, I have learned to work through obstacles by using time blocking techniques to stay in the zone and tackle one thing at a time. Let’s get started into my specific tips! 

1. Sunday Reset

On Sundays, I like to organize my day by preparing for the week ahead. This is what my typical list looks like. 

Cleaning: 

  • laundry 
  • vacuum 
  • clean room and bathroom 
  • organize clothes 

     Food:

  • meal prep for the week 
  • Ex: 
  • Breakfast (overnight oats) 
  • Lunch (Mac and cheese)
  • Dinner (vegetable grain bowls) 

Self Care:

  • gym 
  • go for a walk 
  • shower
  • stretch 
  • find something interesting to read or watch
  • write dates in calendar for week 
  • double check assignments are completed 

Making a list of tedious tasks that you may forget along the way is more helpful than you think!

 Also, seeing your thoughts written down or typed out can make it more satisfying to check off! 

Preparing for the week ahead sets you up for success and makes your life easier.

Since I don’t have time to deep clean after classes and extracurriculars, dedicating a day and setting the intention of helping myself have a good week makes accomplishing the tasks a game changer! 

3. Prioritize Tasks 

During the school week, some things we consider priorities might not be as important as doing well in school, being our best selves, and using our time wisely. 

With 24 hours in a day, we could accomplish much more if we laid our day out in advance, and we dedicated our time to very detailed and precise tasks. 

I reflected on my screen time for the past few weeks, and the hours we spend on social media, possibly doom scrolling or playing games, can be excessive.

The most challenging but cliche aspect is pushing ourselves in taking action when we don’t want to.

No one is going to accomplish our dreams and goals for us, and so if we want to be different, we need to understand our why, and our purpose!

4. Find Yourself in Being Alone

I’ve come to the conclusion that when you don’t take time for yourself, you distract yourself from being alone!

In my moments where I was most alone, I was able to understand myself and how I feel about who I am.

When you have the constant noise of others getting in the way, and you are not able to reflect, your productivity will decrease, your energy will be drained and you won’t have time to get things done.

Form a balance of being alone and bonding with others. However, if others are getting in the way of your personal success, then it is time to take a few steps back and reevaluate your social circle. 

5. Create a To Do List and an Anti-To-Do List

The first step in successfully creating a to-do list for anything is to be realistic about your time.

I recommend using the time blocking strategy to schedule tasks into designated time slots. This allows you to better assess how much time you truly have, as time easily slips away if we are not using each moment intentionally. 

As far as your to-do list, start with 3 non-negotiables. Tasks that must be completed by the end of the day and are the highest priority.

Then, have a seperate section for your medium and low priority tasks. 

As for your anti-to do list, this should include all of your habits and behaviors that you want to eliminate that day or week. 

You don’t need to create an extensive list. Include anything that is preventing you from becoming the person you truly want to be. 

Some habits/behaviors might be:

  • sleeping in 
  • impulsive spending 
  • constant scrolling on social media 

Find what it is you don’t want in your life, and stick to your word. The first step is having a good relationship with yourself! 

That is all for forming a productive and organized weekly routine in college! With peace, love, and joy. 

Love, 

Lauren Marie 

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