Organization and Time Management Part 2: Make a to-do list!

By Chelsea Wicks & Kimberly England, Graduate Assistants in Intensive English Programs

Make a to-do list

Now that you have seen how you spend your time and considered what changes to make, it’s now time to start planning ahead! One way to go about this is by to-do lists, which are a simple yet incredibly effective way to stay organized and manage your time.

Get it done! Template for a to-do list.

Before writing your to-do list, think about what “type” of to-do list you respond best to. For example, do you find daily to-do lists the best way to accomplish your tasks, or maybe weekly? Do you prefer writing tasks for each individual class or in order of importance? Personally, I like school-related lists to be ordered by class and due date; errand lists I prefer to order weekly. Mix it up and see what works for you! Identifying what type of list works best for you will help you later when you write down your tasks because you will know how to organize them to best suit your style.

It’s also a good idea to think about the end goal for your to-do list, as in when you want to have each task accomplished. Making a long to-do list with every task may not be as effective as several, shorter to-do lists. With longer lists, it will naturally take longer to complete all the tasks on your list, plus you may have to start a new one before finishing the first. However, with the shorter lists, while you may accomplish the same amount as on the long list, it will feel like you accomplished more. Don’t underestimate the power of crossing out/checking off tasks when they are completed, it feels good to see that achievement! On top of that, it keeps you motivated because you can see your progress!

Customizable to-do list

To-do lists don’t have to be limited to paper and pencil, there are a great number of digital resources for making and accessing your to-do lists from anywhere. One great app that comes to mind is Google Keep! Personally, I use Google Keep on my phone where I can easily access it to create notes that can be customized as to-do lists. (After creating a note, if you go to the option to “Add checkboxes”, you can start your list). Once you complete your task and check the box, Google Keep will automatically cross it out and move it to the bottom. You can also re-arrange the order of your tasks, in case something urgent comes up! If you find using your phone to be a key player in keeping you organized and haven’t checked out Google Keep yet, definitely give it a try.

One last advantage of making to-do lists is that it’s an easy way to practice your English! Even though it may seem like it would not be a great study tool, just the action of writing/typing in English will help you practice using vocabulary and check your spelling. Of course, we don’t want to discourage anyone from writing in their own language, but it is something to consider as a simple yet useful practice.