Quizzes, midterms, exams, homework, study, work, internship and repeat, is a summary of what an average college student deals with on a daily basis. With so much to stay focused on, how do you manage everything? Well for starters, you need to be clear-headed, prioritized and separated – in other words, stay organized.

October 4 to 11 was National Get Organized week. Launched by the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO), the goal of the week is to raise awareness about staying organized. Here at Hofstra, these tips are crucial as ever as students are getting prepared for midterms . Luckily, Christina Kaschte, the RA manager at Vander Poel Hall hosted a “Get Organized” seminar right here on campus.

Kaschte showed attendees a variety of ways to stay organized during this tough testing season. Participants received sample page handouts of weekly and monthly calendars. She also handed out color pens to show how one can use color coordination to their advantage.

“One major tip I’d recommend is to keep consistency, have a to-do list with different sections of importance, prioritize and study a week to two weeks in advance,” Kaschte said.

Here are some of the things she advises to keep your schedule clutter free:

● Color coordinate your plans into an agenda. Categorize them in ways you’d remember and in levels of importance.

● If you have a weekly agenda, also keep a monthly one to keep track of what’s happening. This gives you an overview of months to come.

● Keep fun color-coded page margins. These help you skip to sections in your calendar rather than flipping through dozens of pages.

● Use sticky notes for everything. These are effective because you can easily remove them.

● Only keep one agenda at a time, and keep track of it!

When asked how applying these tips in her life has helped her, Kaschte says it’s made her life so much more convenient. “I always know where I need to be, I don’t overschedule anymore and making plans is so much easier.”