Secret # 10 To-Do Lists

To-do lists are the key to staying on track in college. It’s not enough to put important dates on a planner; you also have to be able to prioritize your tasks. By creating a to-do list, you can order you tasks from most important to least important, ensuring that objectives are completed in a timely fashion. To-do lists make it easy to plan ahead.

Checking items, even small, off of your to-do list will give you a sense of accomplishment that helps you complete the remaining items with renewed vigor. There are many ways to form a good to do list. You can hand write it placing the most important items at the top of the list and marking them off as you go down the list. If you like to hand write your lists, check out these templates.

 There are also many apps available that make creating to-do lists easy. Google Keep is my preferred to-do list website/app. With Google Keep, I can type multiple to-do lists (long-term, short-term, weekend, before Christmas, goals, shopping list etc.). With the app (android) and the widget I can easily check off or add items to my list. Think of Google keep as your virtual post-it note collection. You can rearrange and recolor all of you notes. Google Keep is also a good place to put important information that you don’t want to forget (birthdays, paint colors, links, codes, etc.…).

For Apple users, check out Errands. With Errands you can separate your to-do list into various categories (i.e. Social, academic, etc.) Like Google Keep, Errands is a free application that can help you organize your to-do lists.

Wunderlist is another great list app to check out. This app works great for both iPhone and android. This app is more aesthetic than Google Keep or Errands, but it still helps you prioritize tasks.

Whether you decide to write out your to-do list or create them on a website, you will soon see that To-do lists are vital to life as a student; with to-do lists you can stay organized, productive, and even motivated. Don't be the student that is always one step behind. Keep up with your classmates, and turn your assignments in on time! Keeping an up-to-date to-do list can have a huge positive impact on your grades!