This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at St Edward's chapter.
Ladies, we are all guilty of this: every year, about a week or two before school starts, we promise ourselves that this is going to be the year we actually stay organized despite the fact that we’ve never managed to actually make that happen. Now that this year has started, it’s time to finally follow through. And we’re not just talking about school work, we’re talking about staying organized in every aspect of your life. Here are some tips that will help you stay neat and tidy all year long:
Buy Folders for your Classes. Each class you are taking should have it’s own designated folder. This seems simple, but it’s a little trick that will make a big difference. Keeping everything separated by class will help you keep track of all your important papers and syllabi. It also helps to color code your folders and spirals–one color for each class. Since you don’t have every class every day, having a color system helps make it easier when you are packing your backpack in the morning before school.
Clean out your backpack at least once a week. Trust us on this: you never know what you’re going to find because a lot of stuff gets mindlessly thrown in there from time to time during the week.
Write out all of your important deadlines in your planner/ agenda. The teachers give you syllabi for a reason: they want you to know when all the major assignments are due so you have no excuse not to do them. Look at when you have texts, quizzes, and mid-terms, and plan your social events accordingly. Some weekends you’re going to have to suck it up and stay home to crack out a research paper or study for a major test, but other weekends you’ll be free as a bird. That’s just how it happens sometimes.
Along with that, don’t procrastinate. Once you’ve written out all your important dates, start to plan how long each one is going to take you. You know yourself better than anyone else does, so you know how much time you need to allow yourself to get something done. Time management is an essential college skill. If you know a paper is due in two weeks, don’t wait until the night before it’s due to start writing it. Work on it a little bit each day so that you don’t stress out when that deadline approaches. It’s all about balance.
Clean your room more than once a week. When you clean more often, the mess won’t have a chance to pile up. Nobody likes a messy room, and your roommate will appreciate your cleanliness. Plus, when your room is clean you won’t be embarrassed when you have friends over, and you’ll always know where everything is–especially all of your favorite party outfits.