{"id":28112,"date":"2019-10-03T23:19:34","date_gmt":"2019-10-03T15:19:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/?p=28112"},"modified":"2022-03-21T14:47:59","modified_gmt":"2022-03-21T06:47:59","slug":"self-organization-lessons-from-students","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hongkiat.com\/blog\/self-organization-lessons-from-students\/","title":{"rendered":"Self-Organization Lessons You Can Learn from German Students"},"content":{"rendered":"

I have been living in Germany for five years and I have interacted with people from almost all walks of life. When I came here for a Masters program, my most extensive exposure has been with German students.<\/p>\n

This interesting group of people who blow their nose loudly in the class and show their gratitude to the teacher by knocking on the desk when the lecture ends, also possess sharp self-organizing skills embedded in their personalities<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Coming from a \u2018go-with-the-flow\u2019 kind of culture, I was initially irked by their disciplined demeanor. But with the passage of time, I saw in them these little things that helped me get my life together<\/strong>, not just during studies but later in personal and professional life as well.<\/p>\n

The following is a summary of my observations and experiences regarding self-organization<\/strong> that I learnt from my fellow German students.<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\tRead Also:<\/strong>\u00a0\n\t\t\t\t\t15 Examples of Obsessively Organized Photography [Photos]<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

Never mess with Mr. Uhr<\/h2>\n

Punctuality<\/strong> is actually one of the most important aspects of self-organization that vouches for a person\u2019s credibility, trustworthiness and his level of commitment<\/strong> towards a task.<\/p>\n

Although everything and everyone in Germany observe punctuality, German students follow Mr. Uhr<\/em> (Mr. Clock) with almost religious fervor. You would not expect them to be late in reaching the class. Even for parties and dinner invitations, they would reach right on time.<\/p>\n

\"never<\/figure>\n

Inspired by my German friends, I started taking punctuality quite seriously. Initially, it was hard, but with the passage of time I devised my own method to avoid being late.<\/p>\n

For instance, for each appointment I make mini-timelines that don\u2019t just include when to leave the house, but smaller milestones like when should I be dressed already, and by what time should I be finished with breakfast, etc.<\/p>\n

This way I am seldom late in reaching somewhere and never have to mess with Mr. Uhr again.<\/p>\n

Life has no meaning without a pocket planner<\/h2>\n

One thing you will find in every German student\u2019s bag is a pocket planner<\/strong>. From classes and sports activities to family gathering and even dates, these small colorful diaries carry all sorts of appointments and upcoming engagements.<\/p>\n

\"pocket
IMAGE: A Little Design Everyday<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

They even put in recurring tasks in their pocket planners so one appointment never converges another.<\/p>\n

I personally adopted this habit a little differently. As my bag is already pretty stuffed, I don\u2019t opt for a pocket planner but prefer to do all the scheduling through my phone\u2019s calendar<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

This small habit has saved me from embarrassment<\/strong> and panic of overlapping appointments<\/strong> so many times, and the blank spaces in the schedule remind me about all the free time I have for myself and my family.<\/p>\n

The word \u2018laser focus\u2019 was invented for them<\/h2>\n

We read the word \u2018laser focus\u2019 a lot these days, in management articles and motivational speeches etc. But if you want to see an embodiment of this word, then German students are the right specimen. They have a strong tendency to fix their focus on one goal<\/strong> and seldom look sideways<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s world is full of distractions and keeping a sharp focus can get pretty grueling. But through observation, I realized that with certain small practices can help you focus better<\/strong>.<\/p>\n