Reset and Reorganize by Allyson

Reset and Reorganize by Allyson - February 2026 Scholarship Essay

One simple but important habit that has made a huge difference in my academic success is what I like to call reset and reorganize. This includes self-care, refreshments, organizing my tasks, assignments, and study strategies.
Everyday after a long day of school I take a chance to refresh myself with self-care. This includes playing a game on my phone, brushing my hair, drinking water, eating a snack, etc. I do this immediately everyday to force my brain to reset itself. This strategy works for me because with my ADHD my brain struggles to focus especially if it does not feel refreshed or ready. Taking some time for self care allows that refreshment to happen and the rest of the day to go smoother
Then I sit down and take everything that I will need for homework out of my backpack. I gather and assess teacher agendas or quick notes that I took in class. I look through all of these to see what needs to be done and clearly write it color-coded by class in my school agenda. I ensure that I only put assignments or school things in this agenda to not get overwhelmed with other parts of my life. I include studying, assignments, projects, and other tasks on my lists. During times that are close to tests or quizzes, on a separate piece of paper, to prevent overwhelm, I write down strategies to study for these to ensure that I know exactly what will be the best way to succeed on these assessments. I then make a list of what exactly needs to be done in which order including tasks from the agenda and study strategies. In this step I include organizing my materials that I will need and refreshing/reorganizing any of these that are broken or used up! This allows me to see how much of each thing I have already completed, when everything is due, and overall helps me manage my time better. I will then start working on things one at a time. This routine allows me time for breaks and flexibility with myself. For example, if something comes up and I can not complete everything it is usually okay because I chose to start with assignments that I was on the most time crunch for. This simple, “reorganize” part of my routine takes a short amount of time but makes a huge difference on my academic performance because it mitigates my boredom or loss of focus and keeps me completing everything without forgetting it.
Overall, both of these strategies are simple but work so well to help me feel better about myself and motivated. When I can clearly see all my work I know what all needs to be done and I can complete it as my brain feels motivated to do each thing. These both allow me to give myself grace and lower frustration with myself when navigating school! They also help me balance myself with school. I am able to come home, refresh, reorganize, and then work until I must get ready for and go to my main extracurricular of a full-time competitive dancer. I have now refreshed myself, managed my time, been productive, and still get to do what I enjoy.