Ways To Keep Organized This Fall
The start of a school year can be a really busy time. You’re bound to have piles of paperwork handed to you by professors, days filled with classes and activities, and. So it would only be human for your things to get a little cluttered and for you to lose track of certain weekly commitments you may have. Not to worry. We’ve got you covered. Here are some ways to stay a little more organized, both in your physical items and your schedule, this fall!
Weekly Cleaning Sessions
Cleaning your room weekly will help you keep things from getting out of hand. Set aside at least one hour at the end of the week to just put those clothes back in your dresser or closet, and reorganize all the scattered papers on your desk. This way you’ll be able to locate certain lost items from the week and also familiarize yourself with where you may have put other items you might need for the week. And it will ensure that your room does not start to resemble Dominique’s from “Another Cinderella Story”. Maybe it can be a bonding activity that you and your roommate both take part in, as a way to keep your dorm room looking as neat as possible!
Try To Put Items Back In Their Place
Putting items back in designated locations can help ensure that you know where they are. If you just throw your items wherever—which we can all be accused of doing at certain times—you risk them getting placed underneath other items or kicked beneath the furniture. But placing items in a common area will ease your mind and not having the weekly panicked search trying to locate them. This causes your room to become messier and you may risk losing other items. So always remember: put it back in its place so you don’t have to retrace!
Notebooks With Folders
Yes, these do actually exist and they are a real lifesaver. This is especially true when a professor hands out an assignment right at the end of class. Instead of taking the time to place it in a folder, you usually just shove it right in the middle of your notebook, which could lead to things getting lost. A notebook with a folder allows you this same ease, but an organized place to keep all your papers in their correct spaces. This way you’re not scrambling to find where that sheet might have gone!
Make Lists
Making lists can help you determine what obligations you may have for the week. Writing things down helps you remember things, and you’ll also have a written copy of what lies ahead of you for the week. You should make lists not only for these meetings, but also for other things you just wanted to get done for the week like say shopping for groceries or doing laundry. You can even post it on a bulletin board or tape it to your desk, as an added reminder. If you prefer doing things online, a good platform to make these lists are on digital Sticky Notes. This way, each time you open your laptop, you have the list waiting for you and can keep the items in mind while you’re getting work done.
Use A Digital Calendar
For those who find paper forms of jogging the memory futile, you should consider utilizing some form of a digital calendar. This way your smartphone or laptop can alert you to what your assignments are for the week and what obligations you have committed yourself to. You should set multiple reminders, as much in advance as you can. This way you aren’t remembering things last minute and rushing to get things accomplished. Some common examples are Apple Calendar for those with Apple products, and for those who do not have Macs or iPhones, Google Calendar is a solid option.
Keep An Agenda
Are you that friend who’s always forgetting what the homework was and texting your friends with the hope they remember? Well not anymore, because this fall you’re going to invest in an agenda. An agenda is an easy way to help you keep all the homework assigned for the week, as well as future projects and papers. The planner can also be used for club meeting reminders and is an easy item to pull out from your backpack to jog your memory of what you need to do for the week. So go to your nearest office supplies store and get one as part of your back to school shopping!
Take A Break From Online Distractions
In today’s tech-filled world, everyone is checking a device every few minutes it seems whenever they have free time. This leads to what we think may be a 5-minute scroll through Instagram, to eventually looking at everyone’s profiles we see on the most popular page (trust me it happens). And while we claim we’ll recover the time later, often we are tired, and turn to streaming as a way to unwind. Well put your phone in airplane mode and close the Netflix tab immediately! Taking time away from the internet and just getting done tasks at hand can make you really productive, and you’ll accomplish a lot more removed from it, rather than taking breaks during these periods.
Relax
This one may be a no-brainer, but you need to schedule in some time to just decompress. If not, you’ll become more run-down and end up forgetting important obligations you may have, or remembering, but being too exhausted at just the thought of completing them. So whether it’s sitting outside listening to some music or binge-watching your favorite show, just take a chill session. Remember that you’re only one person and can only do so much, so don’t push yourself past those limits, or else you’ll end up more disorganized trying to stay organized.
