It’s time to get organized!
Say what?! That’s right, I said it. Summer is one of the best times to get organized because you’re less bogged down by constant responsibilities. Yes, you may have a summer job, internship, or you’re going on vacation but with all that free time in between, why not get yourself ahead of the game and organize for the upcoming semester?
During the semester and especially towards the end, it’s easy to get into a pattern of disorganization, an overloaded computer, a messy room with coffee and clothes thrown on the floor as you rushed to class in the morning. So, take this summer to remedy the situation and clear your mind by clearing your space.
Need some tips to get started? Here are my 10 best tips on getting yourself organized this summer!
1. Clean all that sh*t in plain sight up!
The first step to getting organized this summer is cleaning up the remnants of last semester. Pick up that old tea sitting on your desk, recycle any loose papers you don’t need, and make sure that when you look around your room it looks organized and clean in plain sight.
2. Declutter
Once you’ve fully cleaned your room, then you’re able to move on to decluttering. A new semester means a new you, right? If there’s a piece of furniture or an item you don’t want, need, or haven’t used in the last year try selling it or donating and worse comes to worse toss it (hopefully in the recycling bin). Decluttering will help simplify your living and visual space and in turn, will hopefully simplify your semester.
3. Organize your room
Now that you’ve gotten rid of anything you don’t need, you can go in and organize individual spaces in your room. Start with your desk and sort the small things out figuring out what you need and where everything should go (remember that everything should have a home!). Move on to other spaces like your dresser/closet and organize your clothes, then you can move forward to miscellaneous areas in your room. This is also a moment to buy anything substantial you may need for the upcoming semester also.
4. Organize your computer and phone
Your space is seemingly organized, so what’s next? Summer is the perfect time to do tedious organization that you normally don’t have time for during the semester. Take advantage of your downtime and declutter your computer, phone, and go through old papers from the past semesters. Start by deleting any unnecessary apps, photos, documents, etc. and transfer pictures on your phone to your computer so you have more space on your mobile device.
5. Sort through old papers
Organize old papers by sorting what you don’t need anymore and what you could potentially use in future classes. Place papers in an accordian folder and label it based on subjects.
6. Close unused accounts
You’ve probably created a million accounts online throughout the year whether it’s for textbook services, food delivery, or anything else you may have signed up for. Close any unused accounts so your data is organized and you know what information about you is floating around on the web.
7. Set your planner upcoming semester
Get started early! Start filling in your planner with any important dates you already know about. Also, your planner is a great place to set your goals and write them down. Keep yourself accountable by keeping your planner up to date and your goals in check.
8. Set a routine
Since you’re not bogged down by responsibility and having to go to class, take this moment to set a routine you can stick to when the school year comes around. Whether that’s waking up a little earlier on week days or beginning a healthy gym/nutrition routine, start it in the summer when you have time to keep yourself as accountable as possible!
9. Get a head start on applications
Summer is the perfect time to get a headstart on all those big applications and get a steady plan in place. Whether you’re applying to jobs, internships or graduate school, start during the summer so you have a strong beginning when you’re not bogged down with other responsibilities. This way you can place all your focus on putting the best application out there!
10. Keep a to-do list
Lastly, keep a to-do list. This may seem like a “No, duh” type of thing, but seriously to-do lists for everything are essential when you live a busy, boss babe life! Keep your head high and write down the things you need to get done for any case and you’ll get all the satisfaction of crossing one more thing off your list.
You got this girl and go out there and have a relaxing and productive summer!
Photo Credit: Jessical Slaughter, Isbah