Hey friends! I’m back today with another fun college-related post. This one is all about staying organized. Trust me, life (especially school) is so much easier when you are organized. The three main areas I’m going to focus on today are: backpack, class materials, and your study area.
Backpack
First things first, the backpack. This thing will be with you for 4+ years almost every single day. It will see dozens of classrooms, coffee shops, and college apartments. Keeping your backpack organized is the first step to keeping your life organized in college. How many times have you spent way too long searching for something you *know* you put in your backpack?! Here are my tips for keeping it organized. First, use a pencil case. There’s nothing more annoying than trying to find a writing utensil in the bottom of your backpack. I recommend keeping a few pens, pencils, an eraser, and some sticky notes in there. Next, make sure you keep your papers organized. Don’t just throw a random paper in your backpack. Make sure all of your papers and notes get put into a folder or binder. See the next tip for ideas on how to organize them! The next backpack tip I have is to keep your laptop in a sleeve. Some backpacks have a separate compartment for a laptop, so keep it in there. This will keep it from getting scratched. The next tip I have is to keep some essentials in your bag. I like to keep them in a small pocket in the front of my backpack. I keep chapstick, headphones, ibuprofen, my student ID, gum, a hair tie, and lipstick. These have come in handy on more than one occasion. The last little tip I have for you relates to organizing cords. I don’t know about you, but I always have tons of cords in my bag. I have a phone cord, my apple watch charger, and a laptop cord. It is beyond annoying when these get all tangled up. A life hack that I use is binder clips. I use an extra-large clip on my rolled up laptop cord, and medium ones on my other cords. This keeps them rolled up nicely and keeps them from getting tangled together! Something I try to do to stay organized is clean out my backpack at the end of every day. I take out any trash or things that I don’t need for class. Doing this every day is a great habit to start. The backpack I use is from Lululemon and I am obsessed with it. It is on the pricier side though, so below are some of my favorite picks for any budget!
Notes + Homework
It took me a few semesters to come up with a classwork organization technique that works for me. There are so many different ways you can organize your notes and homework, so do whatever works best for you! For me, binders are a no-go. I just use notebooks and folders. I like to buy the plastic folders so they survive the semester with me beating on them. For any printed slideshows, I hole-punch them and use the clasps in the middle of the folder to keep them secure. Then I write my notes in a notebook, and keep any papers in the folder. I really like the Five-Star Flex Notebinders. They are basically a binder without the bulkiness. I hole punch my slideshows and put them in here, then write my notes on loose leaf paper and also keep them in here. I keep my syllabus in a clear plastic divider in the front. At the end of each class or sometime before an exam, I go though my notes and highlight the important stuff. I usually then transfer this information to notecards, since I’ve found that’s the best way for me to study.
Study Area
The final area I’m going to touch on is your study area. For me, this is a desk in my apartment. This might look different for everyone though. I think it’s *really* important to have a study area that isn’t the couch or your bed though, so if you don’t have one now, go get one set up. I got my desk for pretty cheap at Target, and a small cart with wheels to keep stuff in. I also have an inexpensive bookshelf from Walmart where I keep notebooks and file things like bills. I like to keep the top of my desk completely clear. It’s not a huge desk, so I need the whole thing to spread my work out and have space. Make sure you have everything you need to study or do homework in the vicinity of your study area so you don’t have to get up every ten minutes to get something. I keep index cards, sticky notes, highlighters, and writing utensils by mine. I also like to have some water and snacks nearby! My biggest tip regarding study areas is just making sure your area is clean. I get SO distracted when my office or desk are messy and I can’t focus on the task at hand. Below are some of my favorite desk accessories that make studying a little more enjoyable.
By following these tips, you’ll be well on your way to getting your life together. Leave a comment letting me know what your best tips to stay organized are!
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