Overcoming the overwhelm—Listing and prioritizing your tasks to stay organized

Are you feeling swamped and overwhelmed by everything you need to do? It may be tempting to start with quick, easy tasks, but that may leave you scrambling to finish major assignments on time. Instead, we recommend trying to create a prioritized task list.

A task list is a prioritized list of items that need to be completed within a specific amount of time, often in the immediate future. It can include a mix of your academic tasks (such as readings, homework, and assignments) and personal tasks (such as appointments and errands).

To create a task list:

• Figure out what needs to go on your list. Check your semester plan, Brightspace, calendars at home, etc., for this information. Include personal tasks as well as tasks related to your program.
• Write the items in a list and estimate how long each task will take. If a task will take longer than two hours, break it down into smaller chunks.
• Write A, B, or C beside each task. (For school tasks, consider how much each item is worth and when it is due.)
  • A: tasks that must be finished today
  • B: tasks that should be finished today
  • C: tasks that could wait until tomorrow.
• Write each category in separate lists.
• Prioritize each category. Look at each category (A, B, and C) and number the items according to the order they need to be finished (1, 2, and 3). Each item will have a different letter and number combination, guiding the order in which all tasks should be completed (e.g. A1, A2, B1, B2, B3, C1, etc.)
• Combine your lists with the items listed in order of priority. Complete the “A” tasks first, then “B”, then “C”.

Watch the video below for a demonstration.

Want to learn more strategies? Check out our other study skills tips.