What are you doing to get organized for NS?

Published Sep 9, 2008

1 Article; 375 Posts

Specializes in ICU.

i have been thinking a lot about how i can make things run more smoothly so that i maximize my study time in ns without getting bogged down with day-to-day "stuff". what are everyone's ideas for being more organized and managing your time well?

i have had a few thoughts...please share yours! i need a lot of help in this area!!!

dry shampoo

i know it sounds kinda gross, but i only wash my hair once or twice a week. i have been using some dry shampoos and they are amazing for extending the life of your hairstyle and save me at least 45 minutes in the morning (my hair takes forever to dry and is very uncontrollable (aka curly), so i never know what it is going to do. if i get it looking good one day, then i can "dry shampoo" it for the next four or so days and it still looks great. so, my plan is to wash and style on "off days" and dry shampoo on school/clinical days.

designate different days for different chores

as it stands now i get easily distracted by doing "house stuff" almost every day and it really takes away from my study time. i have decided to only do chores on certain days of the week (depending on my schedule). so i'll have one day where i allow myself to do "desk stuff" (paying bills and household paperwork stuff), only one grocery store run per week (and less if i can get away with it), and only one day for major housework/ laundry (and less if i can sweet-talk my husband!)

buy in bulk...a no-brainer for everyone but moi!

for some reason i have never been one for stocking up...i think it's because my house is so small. but lately i've been buying more than what i need of things i continually use, and i can see how this will save me from those "oh-i-just-need-one-thing-from-the-store" situations. i'm thinking things like cat food, toiletries, almonds (my favorite easy snack), basic staples and school supplies.

find a breakfast i like and stick to it.

i seem to waste an awful lot of time trying to figure out what to eat in the morning. so, i've decided on a couple of breakfasts i can eat every day without gagging: scrambled egg sandwiches with morningstar "bacon", and oatmeal. ditto for make-ahead lunches for those long days at school. who has some good ideas for lunches? beyond making turkey avocado wraps, i'm blanking on ideas.

stop cooking dinner! if i can figure out a way to cease all cooking for the next two and a half years i will be in heaven! aside from cooking ahead and freezing, or subsisting on edemame and dr. praeger's veggie burgers, i'm kinda out of ideas. any thoughts?

get the house streamlined and super clean before school starts!

this is always something that i say i'm going to do when on break, yet somehow it never gets done. hmmm..... the book "sink reflections" is a great motivator!

give away everything i don't use

again, something i think about but rarely get around to. if i just had less stuff, i'd be much more streamlined!

figure out how to make coffee as good as starbucks!

if i can get my coffee-making skills down, and the timer on my coffee maker figured out, i can wake at the ungodly hour of 4:30 am to the smell of freshly brewed coffee. it will also save me from an expensive and sometimes time-consuming trip to starbucks.

so...what are you doing to get organized and more efficient? or maybe it's a great tip you've already incorporated...i'd love to know!:loveya::loveya: