Surviving Freshman Year For Only $2.99

The last few weeks of August were rapidly coming closer and the mountain of college supplies invading my living room continued to grow dangerously higher as I was preparing to embark off to James Madison University for my freshman year of college. I was convinced at this point that my mother had officially gone insane, after buying three sets of extra sheets, nine packs of highlighters, and two first aid kits, "just in case" I ran into any massive paper cuts in the library. However, among all of these "necessities" that my mother so lovingly purchased for me, there was one item that I bestowed upon myself before I left for Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley.

This particular item I had debated purchasing all summer, since most of my hours were spent working at the Educational Warehouse in Wayne, New Jersey, so it had been staring me in the face month after month. The item was the Trend Wipe-Off Calendar, to be used with dry erase markers, about 22 by 28 in size and tastefully decorated with scenes of every season around the perimeter. What I loved even more about this calendar was the price –it was only $2.99 (why I had debated buying it for so long is beyond me). Little did I know at the time of purchase that this calendar was literally going to be my savior for the entirety of my freshman year!

When I arrived in my dorm room at the end of August, I hung the calendar with care upon my cinder block wall above my desk (using strictly Mavalus tape, the only thing I could possibly find that would stick to cinder block), and soon after receiving five different course syllabi from my five different professors, I knew that I needed to get organized or my head would explode; keep in mind that classes hadn’t actually started yet. I quickly went to work on marking each assignment, essay, report, and exam that was due on my wipe off calendar, using a variety of color-coded dry erase markers that kept the overloaded calendar easily understandable, even if it may have looked like I suffer from a minor case of OCD.

As week after week passed, I continually filled my calendar with new assignments, group meetings, and other activities around campus. As a college student, my schedule was constantly changing so using dry erase was definitely the most efficient method. I relied on my calendar everyday to know exactly what tasks needed to be completed that day, and it was exceptionally helpful for long term assignments that simply cannot be done the night before in a college course load. Regardless of how well one may write a paper, the grade will simply remain a zero if the paper is turned in late. With the help of this calendar, I never once turned in a late assignment, and I was even able to manage my time well enough to have the opportunity to complete extra credit assignments.

My roommate even recognized how useful and effectual my calendar was, and I happily returned from Winter Break with a matching calendar for her own use. I can honestly say at this point that there is no way I could have kept my life on track without the use of this calendar. I managed to make Dean’s List my first semester and President’s List my second semester, largely due to the organization this calendar provided for me in my studies. I would strongly recommend this calendar to any high school or college student who could use some organization in their life, for it will surely lower your stress level and improve your time management skills for a low price!

By Brittany Hunter

Educational Warehouse – Wayne, NJ

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