It pains me a bit to say this, but now that it’s mid-August, I have to start to get myself back into the mindset of the new semester starting. For the first time since I started my master’s program, I had the summer off from classes, because I’ve already taken all the classes offered in my program during the summer. It’s been amazing to have a break from classes – if I had been taking a class, I definitely don’t think I could have taken part in the Ms. Wheelchair USA pageant, so I’m very grateful. But the fall semester will be here before I know it, and I need to start preparing.

I have a lot going on right now – lots of different responsibilities to juggle, and schedules and to-do lists to stay on top of. So I need to up my organizing game, so to speak. I’ve always been a paper planner person, but I’ve decided that it’s time to bite the bullet and move over to a digital calendar. As much as a like writing things down, that means that I have to always have my planner with me to write things down in! And that’s just becoming more of a hassle than a help. I have limited “lap space” to carry things around with me, so if there’s an easier digital solution, it’s finally time to embrace it.

I always hesitated going completely digital because I hate the calendar app that comes with the iPhone – it just doesn’t display things in a way that I find intuitive or convenient. But I recently downloaded the Google calendar app, since I rely on Gmail anyway, and I like it so much more. I’m hoping that I’m able to stick with it longer than I do when I try to use my paper planner! If you have another calendar app that you think is the best to use, let me know – I’m definitely still exploring.

A few semesters ago, I also went digital for my in-class note taking. I use my iPad Mini to read, of course, but also to take notes during class – I can download the PowerPoint slides, and then take notes directly on them. It’s made things so much easier for me – I don’t have to carry around 50 pages of printed out slides, and I don’t have to worry about not having a table to put all of my things on (which, depending on the classroom, has been an issue).

I’m hoping that these digital switches can help me keep my organization strong. If you have any tips or tricks, let me know!