Staying organized is difficult at any stage in life, but when you’re in college it’s a whole different story. The responsibilities and obligations you once had in high school could be easily mentioned to you by your parents or teachers. Once you get to college, you’re on your own and you have to remember important dates and deadlines on your own. Here are some of the best ways to stay organized throughout your college years.

Have a calendar in your room

Calendars are an essential part of staying organized. Although pretty much everything has been digitized, nothing beats a physical calendar in an effort to stay organized. Size, location and visibility of a wall calendar makes it the best tool to have on hand when you’re trying to stay on track with projects, exams and big events coming up.

Have a digital calendar

Having a physical calendar is key, but having all these dates backed up on a digital calendar is essential in today’s world too. The great thing about having a digital calendar is that it pretty much travels with you, as long as you have your phone, tablet or laptop with you. Having it with you to add in dates that pop up is a great way to keep track of everything going on, regardless of how hectic your schedule might be.

Record important dates immediately

Whether a test date changes, you see a flyer for a football game or you plan a trip home for the weekend, recording what’s going on right away provides a way to avoid forgetting about anything or missing something. If you record it immediately when you see it or make the plan, there’s no chance you’ll forget about it.

Use folders

Folders might seem a little old school, but there’s a reason why they’re still as popular today as they were before electronic folders existed. For now, paper still exists and when there’s a lot of it, it’s easy to become disorganized. While juggling multiple classes, you need a way to stay organized and keep your papers in order. Labeling folders for each project or class and putting the appropriate papers in each is extremely helpful to staying organized and knowing where everything is.

Put syllabus dates in your calendars

It’s no secret that syllabus dates change, a lot. Depending on the professor, every date that’s scheduled at the beginning of a semester could be different by the end, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t write down dates anyway. Knowing important deadlines and assignment due dates is crucial to staying organized in college. If you know what’s due and how long you have to do it, you can prioritize your workload and not wait until the last minute to try and get everything done.

Use reminders

Tying a piece of yarn around your finger isn’t the only way to set a reminder for yourself anymore. Technology provides us with really convenient and easy ways to make sure there are reminders set to keep us on track just in case something is forgotten.

Regardless of what your technique is for staying organized, there’s always room to improve the way you keep dates and stay on track. Just remember that college can be overwhelming at times, but if you follow the tips above, you’ll realize it doesn’t have to be as difficult as it looks. Stay organized and know your due dates and you’ll breeze through your college semesters with no problems!

Olivia Boluva is a freelance writer and small business owner. She has researched several mba programs in ohio to learn what programs are available for those interested in a career in business. She hopes to offer her knowledge to students who are looking for advice or seeking guidance.