February 7th, 2012
Organization
5 Ways to Stay Organized
Imagine a small dorm room cluttered with furniture. Papers are scattered across the room as if a tornado had swept through the tiny space. Dirty clothes litter the floor, and the student can’t even find his laptop.
Organization is a key aspect of participating in school at any level. However, what most students don’t realize is that organization can actually be quite simple. Here are some ways to stay organized without doing too much work.
1. Keep folders and a marker handy. When you get new papers, stick them into a folder and label it for that particular class or type of assignment. Every time you get back to your room, put all your papers in those folders, and it will save you a lot of trouble looking for it later.
2. Keep a pad of sticky notes with you at all times. When you find out a due date for an assignment, post it on a blank page in your notebook. When you hear an important announcement, use a sticky note. Though they can get messy at times, they are a nifty way to organize your thoughts without having to buy an agenda that you will never use.
3. Put a small basket or box on your desk. Put only daily-use things in it, such as keys, wallet, pens, pencils, and spare change. Instead of spending the whole morning wondering where your tiny items are, you will have them right there in that basket. It is simple and very convenient, saving you a lot of time and effort.
4. Put things back. In order to be organized, your area must be somewhat neat, and that involves putting your items back to where they belong when you are finished using them. However, supplies that are frequently used can be laid neatly on your desk to save you effort later in the day.
5. Try your hardest not to procrastinate. When you wait until the last minute, you realize that you have several assignments that need to get done, and the papers become a haunting pile. Get things done once they’re assigned, so that you don’t have as much work to do to keep everything neat. Remember that organization is a helpful tool but only if you use it correctly.
Organization can become a lot easier if you follow the above steps. After a while, you may become even stricter with your organization system, but start out small. Most people cannot become amazing organizers overnight, but you can improve your present system to make your life easier.