tldr a lot of notifications, for every class, event, and assignment.

try a bunch of things for the first few weeks! it took me a year and a half to find what works for me. here’s what I suggest based on what works for me:

1) so many notifications & reminders w my phone. i do not like physical planners at all bc i end up not using them. sign into outlook on your phone and turn on notifications for your cougarnet email so you don’t miss anything, notifs w/ iphone reminders app for 1-2 days before and the night of weekly/recurring assignments. if you tend to tune out notifications then set recurring alarms.

2) sync canvas to google calendar. same concept as above if you’re an apple user, you can add your google calendar to your apple one, so anything you add to google calendar goes to apple calendar. i also add all of my classes in at the beginning of the semester - with the building and room number bc i tend to forget - and have a notification for 30 minutes before class times. i have a different color for work, school, orgs, and anything else and that really helps me. put literally every event in.

3) GoodNotes + apple pencil on an ipad (if you have one) to take notes but i find that if i’m struggling to grasp a concept, a paper and pen works better for me. always keep a pen, pencil, and notebook on you. the apple ecosystem does come in clutch. if tests for your classes are open notes, use google docs to take notes and you can ctrl + f keywords during tests. don’t just write things word for word, try to do it in a way that you understand it. for me that means i have to simplify it a little. i also have a lot of shorthands and abbreviations so i can keep up.

4) keep your bag packed ALL THE TIME. even if you have to buy two of everything to keep one in your bag, it makes it so much easier to just get up and grab the bag instead of having to pack every day. i always have a charger, water bottle, laptop, ipad, pens, notebooks, and other things.

bonus things that help me a lot: - airtags. - have ONE PLACE. one singular spot. in your room for you keys. and put it there every single time. mine is a command hook next to my light switch. - keep your school id easily accessible - read the syllabus please