Be better prepared: Create a winter quarter exam calendar

For many of you, January marks the start of winter quarter. You've got a whole new set of classes and maybe even a New Year's resolution to get better grades. I've got one tip to help you achieve that goal. (It's going to sound simple. But, hey, simple is simple for a reason.)

In college, tests have the greatest impact on your overall grade. So test dates should be your primary focus! It sounds easy enough to manage at the beginning of the quarter, but as the exam dates approach you'll begin to feel the pressure. You need a way to get organized and prioritize your time.

Tip: Use a calendar template to keep track of your test dates and assignment deadlines.

Using an existing Word template, you can quickly add your test dates to the 2011 calendar, print the final schedule, and then hang it where you'll easily see it. When you see all of the test dates piled up on each other, it will help you prioritize which test to study for first.

To create an exam calendar:

1. Download the Microsoft Word calendar template (as seen below). The calendar starts on August 2010, so you'll need to scroll down to page 6 to see January 2011.
2. Grab all of your syllabi and start adding your test dates. The calendar is really a large table, so you just need to click in a cell to place your cursor there and start typing.
3. If you want to hang a paper copy somewhere, click File and then Print. Choose the Print on Both Sides (Flip pages on short edge) setting if you want to staple the pages together like a traditional wall calendar. Typically, winter quarter starts in January and ends in March, so you don't need to print out the whole calendar. To save paper, just print pages 6-8.
4. Make sure to save a local copy of your Word document in case you need to make edits in the future.
5. Now hang the calendar somewhere you can easily see it and make sure to check it often so you're not caught off-guard by your next test.

In this calendar,  I color-coded each class using a different highlighter color.

If you don't like this template, take a look at more 2011 calendars on Office.com. Or if you've got a better system, leave me a comment and let me know how you plan on getting more organized in 2011.

Happy New Year!

--Jennifer Bost