10 Tips for Being Productive in College

Hi! Welcome back to my blog! Being a college student and a blogger, having time to be productive is super important. Whenever I have free time I spend most of it going through my blog’s Instagram page engaging with fellow bloggers or working on upcoming blog posts and Instagram content. The other day on my Instagram stories I had you guys follow along with my productive day and to-do list. It got me thinking about how I am productive while at school and thought it would make for a great blog post! So, here are my tips for being productive in college!

1. WAKE UP REASONABLY EARLY

Now, I don’t mean you should wake up at the crack of dawn every morning (unless you want to, but I personally could never do that!) I just mean that if you don’t have class until, say, 11:00 you should wake up around 8:30 instead of sleeping in until 10:00. This gives you time to get in your full morning routine and get some things done before you even head to your first class of the day! If you have a quiz that day you’ll allow yourself time to read over your notes as a last-minute refresher before heading out the door.

2. LAY YOUR OUTFIT OUT THE NIGHT BEFORE

Having your outfit planned when you wake up in the morning saves you so much time. This is something I’ve been getting better at doing each day and it is seriously such a saving grace. It allows me to focus on other things when I’m getting ready for the day and I’m able to get dressed in about 2 minutes since I wake up with everything waiting for me! You also don’t have to make a decision right when you wake up, therefore saving yourself a little bit more brainpower for later in class.

3. USE YOUR PLANNER

Are you someone who buys a planner every year but stops using it after 3 weeks? I totally used to be one too but I’ve worked at it and now use it way more than in the past. I currently use the Happy Planner (I bought it at Target at the beginning of the school year) and I love it! It’s easily my favorite planner I’ve owned. It has a similar layout to the oh so popular Erin Condren planners but it way less expensive which is always helpful. Writing down everything allows you to always check in on what you have to do and stay on top of everything.

4. DO HOMEWORK AT A DESK

I can never do homework on my bed without wanting to fall asleep after 30 minutes. Being able to lay back on pillows and be super comfortable simply makes getting work done 100 times harder. As a freshman, I would go to the library a lot to get work done so I had a desk to sit at and no distractions. Now that I’m living in an apartment with my own bedroom, I stay home and do work there. I make it a point to do my work at my desk and not my bed and I feel like I get a lot more done and am much more productive.

5. ALLOW YOURSELF TO TAKE BREAKS

Being productive doesn’t mean you spend every waking moment doing work. It just means that at the end of the day you feel like you accomplished everything you needed to and possibly even more. If you truly want to live a more productive lifestyle, taking breaks is important so you don’t feel burnt out every night.

6. TAKE GOOD NOTES IN CLASS

If you spend more time paying attention in class and taking good notes, you’ll have to spend less time studying. This allows you more time to get other things done like big class assignments, blog things if your a blogger, or any other general productive tasks.

7. MAKE YOUR BED, CLEAN YOUR ROOM

Having a clean space always makes my head feel more clear and allows me to be more productive. As I said earlier in this post, I do most of my work in my apartment, and typically in my bedroom. Whenever things are super cluttered I feel like my brain is also cluttered and I can’t get as much done. Keeping my desk clean a) gives me a proper space to get everything done that I want to and b) makes me feel more apt to being productive and working.

8. MAKE DAILY TO-DO LISTS

Making a to-do list for each day helps to keep me accountable. It also helps me make more reasonable goals for each day. Sometimes having one big running to-do list can be stressful, so instead, I make my lists day by day. Checking off each task always motivates me to keep going and get it all done.

9. DON’T GO ON YOUR PHONE UNTIL AFTER YOU ARE DRESSED

I recently started not going on my phone until I’m dressed and ready to go and I feel like it makes my mornings so much better. I start the day with a fresh mind and even get ready much quicker than before. Not going on my phone until later gives me time to wake up and appreciate my morning and feel more ready to tackle the day than when I’m walking around my room with my head down looking at Instagram or something else.

10. EAT BETTER

Whenever I eat really unhealthy foods it ends up with me feeling weighed down and sluggish. When I’m eating better, I have way more energy and just feel better in general. If you want to be super productive and get a lot of things done, fueling yourself with the proper nutrients is super important. Make sure to eat breakfast so you can have energy right from the start, and keep fueling yourself with whole foods that are better for your body to ensure that you won’t spend your day in bed feeling lazy and sick.

There you have it – my top tips for being productive in college! Got more? Be sure to leave them in the comments below! Also, if you liked this post, be sure to head to my homepage and subscribe to emails and follow me on Instagram @mainly.mackenzie!