Help Students Organize by Prioritizing

Clients and friends have approached me this week about their concerns for children leaving for college. They are understandably proud of their children’s achievements but worry that they won’t be able to handle the demands of college life.

“How do you tell them what they need to do, when they won’t listen?” one father asked.

I think the answer is you don’t tell them. You show them, and you give them the tools to handle stuff as it comes up. The basics of deciding what is most important and managing time are two of the most useful skills for college students-as a matter of fact, for anyone at anytime of life. Skill building can start as early as two-years-old, with parents offering choices and praising good decisions. The longer you have to practice the skill, the easier and more intuitive it becomes

Older folks can exercise some discipline and implement a few tricks to keep them on track. One of my favorites to impart to students (and clients) can be remembered by saying, “Let problems arise; I’m ready.” The first letter of each word reminds the student of the steps to take when trying to balance a lot of priorities or even when needing to complete a project.

The letter “L” stands for list. List everything you need to do.

The letter “P” stands for prioritize. Priorities are a very personal thing and reflect what is most important to the individual. They change with circumstances. New college students want to get settled in their living space, learn their way around campus, meet new friends, line up classes, get books and learning tools, before settling down to getting good grades and finding where they fit in. One of the most challenging things is finding the time to get things done while meeting schedules and deadlines. This step requires some deep thinking, so each person can set up a system that really reflects what he/she wants to accomplish. Most priority setting involves striking a balance between what I have to do and what I want to do.

The letter “A” stands for assign a priority number. Give each item on the list a number for importance. If dealing with a timeline, 1 might be “needs to get done this week.” 2 might be “needs to be done this month”, and 3 might be “needs to get done when I have time.” Priorities do not have to be time related, but this is one of the biggest challenges for students.

The letter “I” stands for integrate new tasks. It would be nice if nothing else came up from the time we set priorities until the time we accomplished them, but that is not the way it happens in the real world. New tasks get assigned, invitations are extended and neat opportunities arise. They should be added to the list and given a priority status.

The letter “R” stands for re-evaluate. This should be done at least weekly to make sure you are getting things done as you need to, and to see if your priorities have changed and need to be re-aligned.

Initial implementation of this system may take a couple of hours, but using it routinely takes only a few minutes a day. It fits nicely in a portable electronic device and it really does keep you on track. I haven’t been a student for a long time, but this worked for me through eighteen years of education and I still use it today to balance personal and business demands.

Maybe the entering college student could give the system a try as they get ready to leave home for the campus. That preparation is a great test for getting things done in a specific timeframe- and family is right there to help and support.

Beverly & Kristen
www.KeyTransitions.net

ORGANIZE A FAMILY COMMUNICATION CENTER

It’s baaack. That’s right, another school year is about to begin. Are you prepared to deal with schedules that accommodate scholastic happenings, sports and other extracurricular activities as well as scheduled health appointments and the fun stuff that goes with living with a family?

If you are one of those folks who never miss sending in a permission slip and who never spend a late night prompting a child to finish an assignment that is due the next day, then you have mastered the art of communicating and scheduling family activities. If, like most of us, you sometimes struggle with getting children to tell you what is coming up in their schedule or coordinating a host of family commitments, here a few hints to improve family communication.

You need to know what is happening. Make it easy for the family to leave papers to be signed, notes about activities and messages from teachers by creating a family mail station. Folder holders, cubbies or even large manila envelopes labeled with family member’s names can be placed at a spot where the family enters the house. Make it a rule to empty backpacks and place the communication in the appropriate “mail slot”. Permission slips and notifications go to Mom or Dad and reminders about dental appointments can go to Jimmy or Jenny. The other rule that needs to be enforced is for each family member to check his mail daily. It only takes a minute and once incorporated into the routine, becomes almost automatic.

Create a master schedule where everyone can see it. Make sure it is down low enough for the youngest family member to see. If children are pre-reading age, you might choose to use symbols to represent school, work, music practice etc. Your family can decide if one person will be responsible for maintaining the master schedule or if each person will enter his own activities. If each person enters his own information, consider making a rule that as soon as someone notices a conflict, he brings it to an adult family member.

Provide a spot to leave messages. You may choose a dry erase board, a magnetic board., black board tiles or a bulletin board. The important thing is that anyone can leave a quick note. “Please turn the oven on at 5:00” or “Tommy is coming over to work on project” or “What a great job picking up the family room!” or “Reminder: pick up milk”

Grouping the mail area, master schedule and a bulletin/dry erase board in an accessible area creates a family communication center that will aid in keeping chaos at bay.

Check out these websites for supplies for you family communication center.

www.bedbathandbeyond.com
www.harriettecarter.com
www.ikea.com
www.potterybard.com
www.officedepot.com


Beverly & Kristen
www.KeyTransitions.net

DON’T FORGET THESE KITS WHEN YOU MOVE INTO THE DORM

Recent high school grads who are college bound will soon celebrate their second Independence Day this year. They will move into college dorms and wave good-by to parents with a mixture of tears, anticipation and relief. Those who have planned well will be able to enjoy that first night of freedom and relax in their new digs.

Good planning means you have the things you need to be comfortable in your room and store everything you need to go to class, study, and socialize with your new friends. That is a tall order given some of the small spaces that pass for college living quarters.

Most colleges send good lists that help students gather the essentials for dorm living and advice from friends and family usually fills in the gaps. Experience has taught us that, even with all this guidance, there are a couple of things people forget to bring to the dorms. They are tools for simple repairs and a first aid kit. The girl or boy who has one of each available on move-in day will be the first to meet many new classmates and their panicked parents. Having moved into four colleges between us, we have personal knowledge of this.

Assemble a tool kit that includes:
Retractable 25 foot measuring tape
Large scissors
Combination drill/screwdriver with multiple tips
Pair of pliers
Hammer
Pocket knife
Nails and screws
Picture hanging kit
Cord ties
Duct tape
Poster Putty
Small flashlight and batteries
Adjustable wrench

These items should allow you to put together assembly-required furnishings and make adjustments necessary for a livable space. Place all the tools in the smallest container that will hold them.

Then put together your first aid kit. Include:
Band-Aids in various sizes
Gauze
Antibacterial ointment
Alcohol swabs
Antihistamine tablets
Acetaminophen tablets
Diarrhea medicine
Cortisone cream
Artificial tears
Hot/cold pack

Now you are ready to take care of any bumps, bruises, stings or other sundry mishaps that might take place as you are getting the room in order. These are no substitute for medical attention when required, but will help you keep the blood off the furniture until you can see the doctor or school nurse.

Going to college is a great adventure. Even Indiana Jones needs a few tools to meet the challenge. Don’t forget yours.

Beverly & Kristen
www.KeyTransitions.net

Organizing Projects

For many local students, school starts this week. The rest get to wait until the day after Labor Day to return to the halls of formal education. It will not be long until they are assigned their first project. Whether the subject is reading, or science or social studies, the student is required to plan, organize and meet a deadline. These are important skills that they will use many times when they run their own homes and follow their grown-up careers, but they are seldom taught in school. Some students find ways to get the job done on their own, but most students need to be instructed and guided.

Some professional organizers (like Key Transitions) offer support for project organization and use a wide variety of tools and techniques to allow the individual to be successful in reaching the goal. There are, however, basic steps that can be reiterated every time a student has a project. Repetition of the process will help develop skills needed to accomplish time-sensitive tasks.

1. Establish the begin date and end date of the project.
   
2. State the goal of the project. This sounds easy but can be complicated. Is the goal to read the book or to be able to express in writing the plot and message of the author. The goal is the latter. Reading the book is one of the steps for achieving the goal.
   
3. Create an action list by naming the steps that need to be taken to accomplish the goal and assign target dates to each of the steps.
   
4. Decide what materials are needed to accomplish each step and incorporate acquisition of the objects in the action list.
   
5. Assign responsibility for each action step. Does an adult have to buy materials? Does the student have to obtain soil samples from different locations that require transport by someone else? Is there group cooperation involved or assigned research to be done?
   
6. Review the target dates to make sure the assigned times are realistic and allow the project to be accomplished on time.
   
7. Work the project using the action list as a guide.
   
8. Ask for help when you need it. The list lets you know when you are running into trouble and have to modify your plan.

This process will become second nature after the students have used it several times and found how successful it helps them to become.

Beverly and Kristen
www.KeyTransitions.net

THE LOCKER DILEMMA

I read recently that there is a growing trend in schools to eliminate lockers. One article attributed the trend to the aftermath of the Columbine tragedy, where locker searches revealed much contraband including drugs, weapons and pornography. This development is being protested by some health care groups who maintain that lugging all those heavy books will destroy the posture and bone health of developing bodies. While the powers argue and reform, students are finding ways to keep themselves on track during the school year by loading books in back packs with wheels and custom designing locker space to fit their personalities.

Most of the upper-level schools in this area still provide lockers for students, but many require that a locker be shared. Organizing the space available to fit the student’s needs becomes a challenge. There are many products on the market that help maximize the utility of locker space.

Adjustable shelves allow separation and stacking of books and supplies. Standing books upright and using a color coordinated notebook for the class helps keep them within easy reach for quick retrieval.

Magnetized pencil cups, utility boxes and cosmetic cubbies with mirrors hold the little things that get lost in the bottom if not contained.

A magnetic dry erase board is handy for notes and messages between locker mates and picture frames allow personalization.

You may also want to throw in an odor eliminator to minimize unpleasant smell that may accumulate.

These products can be found at:
http://www.stacksandstacks.com/

http://www.organize.com/
http://www.lockerdudes.com/



Beverly and Kristen

http://www.keytransitions.net/

GET READY, GET SET, GET SCHOOLED

As August hurries to a close, thoughts turn to the beginning of the school year and all the organizational tasks that have to be completed before the bell rings marking the beginning of the first class. These tasks include lining up clothes and uniforms that fit and buying the required supplies that appear on the endless lists provided by the various schools. It also means modifying schedules to accommodate bus pick-ups or parent drop-offs, or student drive times. It includes taking time to calm some children’s fears and curb other’s enthusiasm and unrealistic expectations. It means finding the time to accomplish all that needs to be done. Before the doors even open, you may find that you have lost control of your time and your budget and are rapidly losing your patience and what is left of your mental health.

It is just this kind of environment that promotes disorganization that leads to permanent clutter and chaos. Here are a few hints to help you stay in control until the little (or big) angels start to school and the family adapts to the new routine.

Take a deep breath and assess what needs to be done. It helps to make a list with due dates beside each item.

Solicit help from the family to accomplish tasks. You might even make a game of it by posting the list in a prominent place and see which family member can complete his/her assignments first. This also teaches younger children to plan and meet deadlines, a skill they will appreciate during the school year.

Keep track of what you spend. If you have not prepared for this year's expenses, you will have a basis for estimating next year’s expenses. You can also minimize initial expense by buying only a one month supply of each item. Once your child is in school, you will have a better idea of what is needed and what is “cool”. I still have a supply of No. 2 pencils which, for some reason, were not “right”

Keep behind the clutter. Throw away packaging. Find a space for the supplies as you buy them. Give away the clothes that don’t fit rather than letting them pile up in a corner. Make sure the children get their rooms “study ready”. At least clear a space to get homework and put down the books.

Let some things go. Do you really need to dust this week? Can you skip a meeting? Can you wash the car next week? There are only so many hours in the day and managing your time requires making choices and setting priorities. School is not going to wait, so what will wait?

Take care of yourself. You and your family come first, so make sure you have adequate rest, nutrition and recreation. After all, summer is ending and school is right around the corner. Health and happiness are always top priorities.

Beverly and Kristen
www.KeyTransitions.net