Organization and staying on task is a major challenge for most college students. It is easy to lose focus when there are so many activities that demand your attention. Studies reveal that students who master these tasks excel in college and their professional careers. Organization enables you to identify your responsibilities and formulate a plan to accomplish your goals. Like other skills, organization requires dedication and practice. The skills that you develop will enable you to enjoy your college experience. Schedule Your TimeThe first step is to create a realistic schedule. Make sure that you include time for exercise, sleep, meals and other personal activities. You can use apps, planners or spreadsheets. Enter your class schedule into the program. List your household responsibilities and work schedule if you have a job. If you live or work off campus, remember to include a reasonable amount of time for traffic and parking. Identify blocks of free time during your schedule when you can study. This will enable you to coordinate schedules with your study partners and have the materials that you need. Most people have unexpected free time during their day. If you are prepared, you can have an impromptu study session or work on an assignment. Create To-Do ListsMost students will discover that it is easier to manage academic, personal and professional responsibilities with separate to-do lists. The lists are a great way to remember and schedule time to perform essential household chores and prepare for exams. performance. When you receive your course outlines at the beginning of the semester, use the information to prioritize and organize your academic responsibilities. As you receive additional assignments throughout the semester, make sure that you include the information on your to-do list. Write the tasks in descending order of importance and their deadlines. This will enable you to focus your efforts on the most important tasks. If you need to write a research paper or perform another large assignment, identify the individual tasks that you need to complete the project. Determine how long it will take to perform each task. Review your schedule, and enter the tasks in the open time slots. Ensure that you review and update your to-do list at least once a day.Free Services and ToolsThere are many organizational methods and tools for college students. Free online services will make it easier to organize your activities, but some programs have steeper learning curves because they have so many features. You can start the process in a notebook or planner, but you may want to eventually transition to a free or premium online service. Popular programs include Remember the Milk, Todoist and Toodledo. Many online to-do lists enable you to upload your existing tasks. They are readily accessible from your smartphone and enable you to collaborate with others. You can also schedule text or e-mail reminders. Organization enables you to be more productive and makes your life less stressful.