TECH TIP GET ORGANIZED

Mapping out your schedule needn’t be a chore. Think of a well-appointed calendar as a compass for a college student. It’s a guide for navigating your current semester and will also keep you pointed toward your long-term goals.

• 1 THE PROBLEM You haven’t planned the semester on your calendar yet.
• 2 THE FIX Map out this term’s assignments and make a running to-do list on paper. Then take it digital.
• 3 HOW TO DO IT
  
  • • Find out if your college sells a special planner in the campus bookstore with important dates or deadlines already marked. If not, grab a sheet of paper or download a blank calendar page from the Internet.
  • • Draw up a semester plan, entering your commitments for each week: classes, work hours, assignment deadlines, study groups (including contact numbers), and exam and vacation dates.
  • • Transfer all the information into Outlook, iCal, or a similar Shareware program. When you open Outlook or iCal, you can view by day, week, or month. Simply click on a date or time slot, follow instructions on the toolbar to create a new entry, and start typing.
  • • A useful trick is to highlight the most important items. As you type in each new entry, you’ll have the option to set color-code items by category (e.g., school, work, family). Set reminder alarms to keep yourself on track.
  • • Use the to-do list on the side of the screen to jot down and prioritize tasks. Start a new to-do list every day or once a week. Every time you complete a task, cross it off the list.
  • • Sync your calendar and to-do list to your computer, phone, or BlackBerry. If you need help, visit your college’s computer lab or IT department. Alternately, turn to a hyperorganized friend for advice, or click to an Outlook tutorial on the Internet.
  • • Back up everything, and file your original paper calendar away for safekeeping in case you experience technical difficulties down the road.

DON’T HAVE OUTLOOK?

No problem. You’ll find lots of free time-management tools online, like Google Calendar (www.google.com), Yahoo Calendar (www.calendar.yahoo.com), or the calendar in Windows Live Hotmail (calendar.live.com/calendar/calendar.aspx).

PERSONAL BEST

Set up a calendar with all of your classes for the semester, and create specific to-do lists for your first three assignments.

EXTRA CREDIT

While you’re at it, write up a tentative four-year plan, including required classes in your major and the types of internships or volunteer work you’ll need to build your resume. The exercise will help to demystify the college process—even if you change your major many times down the road.