Hey everyone! As we get into December, the beginning-of-school motivation and excitement is long gone for many of us. With this mid-year slump starting to set in, I tend to find myself slacking on keeping myself and my work organized. I figured if I write advice for all of you, I might just follow it too.
Tip #1: Use your planner!
This is probably the most obvious tip, but it’s also the most helpful one. I usually find myself forgetting to write the homework assignment down during class, so every Sunday I go into all of my assignment sheets and write my homework for the week. I use my planner to make sure I’m bringing home all of the materials I need and to check off assignments as I finish them.
This is what planner looks like:
Tip #2: Organize your binder!
Picture this: It’s late August, and you are so happy because you just bought all of your binders and dividers for the upcoming year. Flash forward to November, and the front pocket of your English binder just broke from the weight all of your papers. Does this image hit too close to home?
Binder organization is super hard to keep up with when it comes to the middle of the school year. Sometimes we just want to get out of class as fast as we can, so it’s easier to throw everything in our bags. It’s no coincidence that my classes with the messiest binders are the ones right before lunch. Still, even if you can’t organize in the moment, come back to the binders later. Using one-or-two minutes during study hall to put my papers in their proper dividers actually helps me get focused and ready to work. Each subject is different, but the way I divide most of my binders is by notes, handouts, assessments and other/misc. Also, remember to keep a stack of paper in the back!
Tip #3: Buy a hole puncher!
The previous tip only works if you can actually put all of your papers in the binder. You can have the best divider labels in the world, but they won’t matter if you have teachers who don’t hole punch their handouts. The best investment that a student can make is a personal hole puncher that fits in a three-ring binder. It’s always accessible, and there’s no reason not to use it. Watch as your binder goes from a cluttered mess to a functioning organizational system.
These are only three tips, but these small changes can help increase productivity while working in school and at home. I know it can feel like this has been a long couple of months, but winter break is coming quickly, so we can keep our organization up until then!