Discussions

Alright, so I’ve hit that point in the semester where my brain is basically soup. You know the feeling assignments piling up, lectures that somehow all dropped major deadlines in the same week, and your sleep schedule is as broken as your will to live (just kidding... kind of).

Anyway, I’ve always been one of those students who really wants to be organized. Like, I watch Notion setup videos on YouTube the way other people watch reality TV. And yet, despite all the cool dashboards and digital planners, I still end up cramming for midterms at 2AM with six empty Red Bulls on my desk.

So here’s the thing I’ve been thinking about: are productivity tools really helping us, or are they just giving us the illusion of control?

The "Perfect" System That Never Works
I spent a solid four hours on a Sunday, mind you setting up this gorgeous Trello board to manage all my classes, reading, and projects. I color-coded everything, added due dates, even threw in some motivational stickers like “You got this!” which, let’s be honest, is a little cringe but also kind of cute.

But guess what? I used it for like… five days. Maybe. Then I got buried in a group project that went sideways because one guy ghosted, and the board got ignored. It just didn’t match the chaos of real life. Like, yeah, I wanted to be the person who checks in daily and drags cards from “To Do” to “Done,” but reality doesn’t move that neatly.

Also? Life isn’t a board. Life is more like 27 Google Docs open at once, while you’re also on a Zoom call and your Wi-Fi’s deciding whether or not it wants to work that day.

What Actually Helped (Weirdly)
This is gonna sound backwards, but the thing that’s been helping me lately is doing less. Not less work (lol I wish), but less planning. Like, instead of mapping out the whole week with timestamps and alarms and the perfect digital calendar, I just write three things I gotta get done today. On paper. In my actual notebook with bad handwriting and coffee stains.

And you know what? It works. It’s not glamorous, and it wouldn’t get views on TikTok, but it’s real. My brain doesn’t short-circuit trying to keep up with 50 tabs, and I can actually finish stuff without feeling like a total mess.

Also, lowkey, I’ve started using the voice memo app on my phone to record reminders. I’ll just say something like “Finish research for history paper by Thursday,” and it’s there. Super casual. Kind of chaotic. But it fits how I think, and that’s the part most apps miss they’re made to look nice, not necessarily function for how students operate when they’re stressed and tired and living off ramen.

Group Chats & Chaos
Let’s also talk about group chats for a second. These are the real productivity tools, and no one talks about it enough. I’m in like seven different ones some for courses, one just for sending memes (crucial), and another that's basically “support group for people taking finance this semester.”

We use these chats to share resources, vent, and sometimes coordinate actual work. One time I had no clue how to format a reference list in APA 7 (why are there so many versions?!), and someone just dropped a cheat sheet in the group. Lifesaver.

Oh, and shoutout to the classmate who shared a link for assignment writing help in Dubai that came in clutch for my friend who’s doing her exchange semester over there. Stuff like that? Way more helpful than any productivity blog post.

When Apps Get in the Way
Not all tools are bad, obviously. I still use Google Calendar (mostly to panic about how many meetings I have), and I like Slack for my internship. But I think we’ve kind of romanticized productivity tools like they’re magic. Like, download this app and boom you’re suddenly on top of everything, wearing blazers and drinking matcha while working at a minimalist desk.

But apps can also become just another form of procrastination. I’ve definitely spent more time setting up my productivity system than actually being productive. That’s the trap.

And if I’m being real, no tool can help if your brain’s burnt out. No matter how shiny your app is, if you’re running on 3 hours of sleep and existential dread, good luck finishing that lab report.

What I’m Sticking With (For Now)
Right now, I’m trying a combo of low-tech and “bare minimum digital.” Notebook + calendar + voice memos + group chat. That’s it. It’s messy and inconsistent, but it weirdly works better than anything I’ve tried before.

Also, I’ve started giving myself permission to not be 100% optimized all the time. Like, it’s okay if I miss a deadline once in a while. It doesn’t mean I’m lazy or disorganized. It just means I’m human and college is hard.

Final Thoughts (But Not Like a Conclusion)
I guess my takeaway is that being productive isn’t about having the perfect system. It’s about finding what actually fits your life right now even if that looks kinda chaotic. And it’s also about talking to people, leaning on classmates, asking for help, and maybe ditching the planner for a nap when you need one.

Anyway, I’ve got two essays and a project due this week, so I should probably stop writing this and go be semi-responsible. Or not. We’ll see.