6 Must-Know Tips to Get Organized This School Year

 Hello everyone! Judging by the fact you’re reading this post, it’s likely that you might relate to the idea of having old papers crammed into your bag and not being able to find the one assignment you needed or completely forgetting about a test until the night before and having to pull an all-nighter to study for it. You probably wish you were more organized in your school life. Here’s how you can be.

A Planner

First things first, you need a planner. Whenever you find out about a homework assignment, project, or test coming up, you need to write it down and consistently check the planner so you don’t forget about it until it’s too late.

This planner can be physical or digital— if digital, I know people really like using a combination of Google Calendar and Notion. With this, you can break down big assignments or study time into smaller chunks you can do day-by-day instead of cramming in everything all at once.

You can also use organizational apps like Notion, Trello, Evernote, Google Docs or Sheets, and even more. These can be an extension or replacement for a planner, as they can be another way to keep track of everything happening in your life.

Color-Code Subjects

Color-code your subjects (feel free to debate which color goes with each subject in the comments) to quickly differentiate between subjects at a glance. Our brains can process visuals much faster than actual text, so having a set color for each subject is great not just for notebooks and folders, but also keeping track of how many assignments or upcoming tests you have for each class.

Note Taking

Decide if you want to take notes physically or digitally, and then plan accordingly for it. Have a set location for your notes so you won’t need to search multiple places when you need them, and make make sure to keep them in chronological order and track of the date so it’s easier to trace back.

For example, if you remember you did a topic in October and need to review it for a test, it’s much easier to judge where it is in your notes and move forward or backward depending on the dates instead of having to go through all your notes to find what you need.

Also, quick tip, if you’re taking digital notes, make sure the files are being backed up so you wont lose all your notes if something goes wrong. If using physical notes, you can use a bookmark to mark the page you’re on so you don’t need to flip through everything to get to what you need. You can also use a bookmark for your planner or textbook as well.

Pack the Night Before

Packing your bag the night before is a really great idea. When doing this, you can review your planner to see tomorrow’s plans and pack accordingly, maybe pack your lunch and snack, and charge your technology. This ensures you have everything you need for the next day to avoid rushing in the morning and forgetting to bring things you need.

Declutter

Be sure to set time throughout the school year to go through your backpack to declutter! Remove any school supplies you aren’t using or something you don’t use enough to lug around all the time. Also go through your notebook or any papers passed out and toss out anything that will no longer relevant.

If you have an old test or study guide that isn’t needed at this exact moment but could come in handy for the midterm or final, for example, then remove them from your bag and keep them in a safe location in your home until they’re needed again.

Decluttering your bag is not only great for keeping it from becoming too heavy, but also helps with organizing as there’s less clutter to sift through when finding exactly what you need.

Healthy Habits

The last tip is actually the foundation for being an organized person, and that tip is having healthy habits. Your brain needs to be treated well in order to function at its best, and getting enough sleep, eating and drinking well, taking breaks, and more helps you. If you had horrible sleep and are groggy because you didn’t eat breakfast, you’re more likely to forget things or not pay attention, which increases your struggle. So please, take care of yourself.

Conclusion

Being organized helps reduce the time wasted by not having things clearly laid out, and I hope these tips were useful to you.

If you have any tips of your own, please feel free to share them- I would love to form a community of people who want to help each other succeed.

Thank you so much for reading, and stay optimal!