6 tips for staying organized

By simple virtue of the fact that I now go to a good college, I get asked fairly often what my “key to success” in high school was. Frankly, I can't answer that question with much authority, but I can certainly tell you a little bit about how I kept my sanity when trying to balance a hectic schedule and how I intend to maintain that sanity throughout college. Here are 6 ways I stay organized and, consequently, motivated.

A snapshot of my college desk aesthetic!

1. Keep a physical planner.

This first tip is fairly obvious, I think. It’s so great that physical planners have gotten trendy lately. Really drives down that market price down and creates more consumer choice. (Ec10 headass, I know.) Seriously, you can get academic planners that run from about now through July or full year ones, planners that have monthly or weekly or daily views, or you can just pick up a random notebook and create your own spreads (see: bullet journaling). I like the monthly view because you can see what’s happening ahead in the month, get excited for it, and set monthly goals. I like the weekly view because I can see important tasks for the week ahead, which can be school-related, but sometimes are reminders like “go to the bank” some time this week.

2. Use notepad lists.

For the daily view, I prefer a notepad. I usually write out every little task I’d like to get done that day in the morning or the night before. This method is how I ensure the small things don’t get dropped. An excerpt from a list on any given day may look like, “do laundry, take out the trash, start Chinese homework, start readings for class, email your advisor…” For every task I complete, no matter how small, I get to cross it off my list. And that makes me feel accomplished enough to want to seek more of that feeling. Being— feeling —productive is a positive feedback system: once you start feeling productive, it becomes easier and easier to keep tackling those tasks. At the end of each day (or sometimes days plural to save notepad paper), I rip off that day’s sheet and throw it away (recycle it, rather). Those trivial tasks are gone just like that, and each day you can move forward with a fresh slate.

3. Keep a memo board.

I keep a memo board (by which I mean a small whiteboard you can get at Target) above my desk both at home and at college where I write out my current major goals or, intermittently, little motivational phrases. It’s really nice to come back to a space that is purely yours and be reminded of the bigger picture amidst all the minor things that may be distracting or stressing you. It’s mostly silly little things I write, like reminders to “take your vitamins” or “be happy,” but, truly, they help me keep good emotional and physical health a priority.

4. Use binders with dividers.

This tip is a tad strange and is specific to staying organized with classwork. I’m sure you’ve had a couple teachers require you to divide your binder into sections at some point or another, but taking your own initiative to do so can actually be really helpful in the long run. For classes that involve a lot of physical paper, sectioned binders are a lot more convenient for finding materials than surfing through a stuffed folder at the end of the semester. It also keeps the most relevant materials at the front. For example— for a high school English class, I may have split my binder into sections of homework, notes, classwork, quizzes, and essays. Oftentimes even streamlining your work into as little as two sections— homework and classwork— can be really helpful.

4.5. That doesn’t mean you have to lug around heavy binders, though. To both reduce weight and stay organized, I typically go through my binders every few weeks to throw out (again, recycle) obsolete papers or tuck away those I *might* possibly need in the future in a file folder in my desk.

5. GCal.

Google Calendar, or GCal, as the students here fondly (perhaps also with a slight tinge of resentment) call it, is the key to a functioning existence. It’s so nice to color code and log your classes, your extracurriculars, your meetings, your social hours, your sleep schedule, your bathroom breaks...KIDDING. Maybe. Anyway, it’s nice for your brain to not have to be an octopus, hanging onto eight different things to remember at once. Why not let Google do the work for you? (I will say, GCal is a lot more relevant in college than in high school. I've only just started using it.)

6. Take time for yourself.

Quite frankly, all of these methods are less about getting every little moment or assignment in your life right and more about creating a peaceful state of mind. Sometimes the best way to stay organized when you’re feeling overwhelmed is to simply give your brain a break. Take some time to collect your thoughts— listen to music or journal — and find your bearings again. Usually whatever events or tasks you have ahead of you will fall into place. Remember that it’s okay to be imperfect and messy sometimes. That’s what makes us human, after all.

Wishing everyone a lovely new school year ahead! <3