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Study Skills: Get Organized

Working with and saving files

Keeping files organized is key to college success. Make sure you have a system in place so you know where your digital content is kept. The tools below can help you.

One Drive: Free to Madison College students with your college email address. 1 TB of space, accessible from any device with an internet connection. 

FileWay: Access files saved to our on campus H-Drive system. We recommend using One Drive for file storage and backup. 

Google Drive: Free cloud storage with options for collaboration. Requires a free Google account. 

Dropbox Basic: Free cloud storage, up to 2 TB of space. 

Need help figuring out a system that works for you? Book a TechXpert appointment to gain some insight on file management, as well as saving and submitting your work. 

See our Academic Technology Launchpad for more detailed help. 

Image: One Drive Video Link

Video: Saving Your Files

Digital Backpack Workshops

 

Image: Digital Backpack Series

 

Our free Digital Backpack Series is designed to help you get ahead in your education! Learn about a wide variety of tools, technologies and strategies.

Registration is required for these free workshops. 

Organization Strategies

 

Image: Person writing in notebook                                                                                                                             

Taking notes in a way that works for you will allow you to
capture what is being presented in class, synthesize topics
and have a customizable study aid. How do you like to take notes?
 

  • By hand in a notebook
  • With a laptop
  • Creating audio recordings of lectures
  • Creating a flow chart with key words and concepts
  • Doodling/drawing
     

However you prefer to take your notes, it's been shown that taking them will help your retention. Check out the resources below to find new ideas to help you improve your note taking skills.


Study Guide - Note Taking from University College at IUPUI on Vimeo.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As a student, effectively using a calendar tool can help greatly! You just need to find the system that works best for you. 

Use your favorite calendar to:

  • Keep track of due dates, upcoming projects and ongoing tasks like weekly reading assignments
  • Organize yourself through semester-long or large assignments like research papers
  • Set up regular weekly study sessions in the library or with a group
  • Encourage yourself by seeing how many weeks are left in the semester.

    Google Calendar is a free tool that many students love for organizing their due dates, study times, and lives in general. Check out the following video for advice from a medical student on setting up Google Calendar. 

 

Bullet Journaling is a popular way to get organized. Using any notebook, people who bullet journal organize their planner or journal into trackable pages, weekly calendars, to-do lists, and other lists and ideas pages just for fun. It's a great way to get all of your thoughts, goals, and to-do lists down on paper and in one place. You can get creative and illustrate your journal, use stickers, draw or do artistic lettering, or you can just use a notebook! 

What is a Bullet Journal? (Article from VeryWellMind)

Bullet Journaling from Faber Castelle, includes a full PDF booket with instructions and ideas

 

 

 

There are so many useful apps available to help you manage
your time, schedule and to-do lists.
Check out a few favorites from our staff members. 

Image: Kanban Flow Logo

KanbanFlow is a free online tool for project management. If you like to-do lists, this is a great, 
free option that can be used via mobile or computer. Organize your tasks by class, priority
level, or other criteria. You can also make separate to-do list boards for your school, work,
and personal tasks. 

Todoist Logo

Todoist is a robust to-do list app. It can help you prioritize
tasks, focus and feel less overwhelmed. Free version available.

Evernote Logo

Evernote has been a very popular productivity, note taking and organization app for years.
The free version can be used on multiple platforms, including smartphones.