I’m having trouble keeping all of my assignments and readings organized between checking my planner and my many syllabi. Is there anything you would say works better?
Sincerely,
Overly Unorganized
Our first suggestion would be to try to use your planner more efficiently by putting assignments on the day that they’re due, not when they’re given. Transfer what is given in the syllabus into your planner ahead of time to avoid switching between them. Another tip is to write in pencil in case something changes to avoid too many cross outs or mistakes.
If you want to go a completely different route, try using post-its. You can write each assignment and its due date on its own note and place them above your work area. You can arrange them in a way that’s logical to you: color, class, date, etc. Once completed, you also get the satisfaction of tearing them down.
My roommate needs to get up earlier than I do every morning. The only problem is her alarm doesn’t wake her so I’m pleasantly awoken every morning by her droning alarm clock while she snoozes on for a good 15 minutes. Is there anything you think that I could do about this?
Sincerely,
Angrily Awoken
First, we think you should approach your roommate about the issue. Too many times, things like this go unacknowledged and end up creating greater problems down the road. Living with someone else is never easy. When there is an issue that can lead to your life becoming harder, you need to address it.
Ask your roommate if she hears the alarm but ignores it or genuinely doesn’t hear it. If it’s the former, tell her that you would prefer if she hit snooze or shut the alarm off because you’re still trying to sleep. If it’s the later, then recommend that she get a different alarm or change it to something that will wake her up.
Better to address it now than let resentment build and cause a messy situation.