Staying Organized Makes College Life Manageable by Emma

Staying Organized Makes College Life Manageable by Emma - January 2026 Scholarship Essay

One strength that has helped me the most in this chapter of my life has been the ability to stay organized. College can be overwhelming and hard to tackle sometimes, but learning the fundamentals of organization has helped me tremendously. Not only does it help with my workload and time management, it also helps me keep up with the relationships around me. I thought college was going to be significantly harder than high school. However, I discovered that finding the time to organize and plan out my weekly assignments helps me realize that it isn't as difficult as I originally thought. Using the tools and resources around me helps reduce my stress. Being organized allows me to continue to do the things I love. Spending time with friends and family can be difficult when going to school and working a part-time job. Finding a school, work, and life balance by organizing my time has helped get things done efficiently, and allow time for all the things important to me. To help me stay organized, I read my syllabi at the beginning of each semester, and copy over the important dates into my calendar for assignments and projects throughout the duration of every class. Each week I make a list of assignments, tasks, and my work schedule. I make a tentative schedule, making sure to identify free time that can be used for relaxing and spending time with friends and family. Finding different ways to stay on top of my academics, and also finding time for work and family life has helped me navigate my stress and confidence. Staying organized isn't about perfection and constant scheduling, it's about making healthy habits that reduce stress and save time so the challenges of everyday struggles can be more manageable.