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3 Simple Steps to Successful Organization

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Holy Cross chapter.

You’ve heard it from your teachers, you’ve heard it from your parents, and now you’re hearing it here: organization is a key factor to college success. Whether it’s a messy dorm room or a backpack full of stray loose-leaf paper filled with notes, disorganization only makes your life more difficult – (especially when it comes time to study for that huge bio exam). Here are a few tips to jumpstart good organizational habits that will make studying ten times easier.

  1. Invest in an Agenda

An agenda should be a staple of every collegiette’s life. Use an agenda to keep track of due dates, study sessions, meetings, and social events. Figure out a system that works for you to stay organized within your agenda. A few of my favorite tricks are color-coding classes, dedicating a section to keeping track of grades, and writing down all major due dates at the beginning of the semester. For those who want to have a unique agenda, check out maydesigns.com/shop/books to create and customize your own agenda!

  1. Make Use of Magazine Files

Magazine files are good for much more than just storing your old copies of Vogue. Using magazine files is a simple and easy way to store handouts, returned quizzes/papers, and loose-leaf notes. Simply purchase a magazine file for each class, label each one with class name, and then toss any class-related papers into its corresponding file!

  1. Plan Your Outfit the Night Before

Picking your outfit — what seems to be a simple task can quite literally erupt into a heaping mountain of clothes from your bed to the door. And who can study in a messy room? It’s impossible to focus among t-shirts and jeans littered around your room. Often times, the problem with deciding what to wear in the morning is a lack of time to clean up your mess. Let’s be real, no one has time to shower, blow-dry, put on makeup, pick an outfit and clean up your room all before making it to your 8 am (on time). A time and stress-saving solution is to plan your outfit the night before. Not only will you save time in the morning, but you’ll also be more awake and able to realize that those grey shorts do not match that brown top.  Plus, when you return back to your room after a long day of classes, you can sit down and study without having to move a mound of clothes off of your desk.