Organize Your Binder for School

School is a necessary and very important thing in life that you'll need for your future expectations. A binder is mandatory and comes in handy on the school campus. In order to keep your binder organized and neat, read the simple steps below.

Steps

Understanding What You Need

  1. Understand what you need. If your school has a school supply list, you'll need to follow that as best you can. Not necessarily to the letter, but try to have whatever binders or folders/notebooks, calculators, etc. that the teacher wants.
  2. Gather your materials. Make sure you have the essential school supplies and materials for your binder such as pencils, erasers, highlighters, sticky notes, coloured pens and so on. Many people prefer to put these supplies inside their backpack, but I think it's better to keep them in your binder so you would have them wherever you go and not forget it in your backpack.
  3. Make sure you get a binder that you're comfortable with. Some binders are made just for separate subjects and others are made to place all your subjects in one binder. There are many types, so pick the one you want!

Choose Your Binder

  1. Pick from your options. Basically there's 3 options: 1 big binder (3 inch) for everything, a bunch of little binders, (1 inch or half inch, 1 for each class) or 3 or 4 medium sized-binders (1 and a half to 2 inches). Some people like to carry around a small binder at school and transfer their old work to a bigger binder at home(3inch). Then their bag won't be too heavy with the extra weight from textbooks and notebooks. Pick whichever one your school allows/you want.
  2. Buy a good quality binder. Your binder is something you want to last through the whole year and some of the binders available definitely will not. Remember that sometimes it is worth the extra couple of dollars to get a long lasting binder.
  3. Buy dividers. You must have dividers. Preferably with pockets, so you don't need folders. They're not expensive, depending on how many you buy. They usually come in packs of 5 and 8. Get dividers with pockets.
  4. Clearly label each divider with whatever subject/class you want. It's helpful to have the dividers in order of your classes. i.e. If math is your first class, then your first divider would be math.
  5. Have something to take notes on/in. Notes are an important part of getting into higher grades. The older you get, the more notes you'll take, so have a spiral or some paper to take notes. (If your school doesn't allow spirals, because some don't, get a composition book and put it in the pocket of that subject's divider.
  6. Keep lined paper. Your pencil bag, and your planner/agenda at the front of your binder, because these are important materials that you use most often. Keep your schedule in a page protector at the front, or slip it in the clear front of your binder.
  7. Keep your binder in order either from the order of your classes, or by color, etc. If you keep your binder in order either by color or by classes or any other method, you will have no trouble whatsoever during the school year. It'll be so much easier to find your papers!
  8. Try keeping a binder for each class. Some classes require a binder specifically for their subject.
  9. Have dividers for each subject. Organize your work and notes into categories such as notes, grades, homework, assignments.
  10. Try color-coding your subjects. For example: let's say science is blue. You'd get a blue half-inch binder, blue dividers (if you can, because most dividers come multicolored), a blue folder, blue highlighter- whatever else you need for science would be blue. Everything. So if you you're trying to pack for science, in your locker you'd see a blue binder and folder- you'd know immediately that's science.
  11. Try to keep everything you might need inside your binder. For some subjects you need specific things and it is easier to keep that object in your binder. Another thing which is really useful is an insertable binder hole punch which will ensure you place all your papers in WHEN you get them. If you don't do this then your binder won't be as organised.

Tips

  • Keep a planner in there so you can write your homework down and not forget.
  • Be nice to your binder. Don't toss it or damage it.
  • Always keep your papers neat and try your best so that they won't get ripped out of the holes. It happens a lot, and it's a huge torture to refill it!
  • Remember, your binder reflects your personality. Keep it organized if you want a good impression on others.
  • Keep an amount of lined paper in the back so that you won't waste your time ripping pages out from your notebook, and you'll gently take it out from the holes of your binder.
  • Keep a folder in your binder for each class; label them "homework" and "miscellaneous" on each side.
  • Make sure you know your class requirements before buying a binder. Some schools mandate having a separate binder for each subject.
  • Try to avoid themed backpacks/binders; you may outgrow the theme before school ends.
  • If your notebook paper holes rip, you can buy circular stickers which repair the holes.
  • If you're in middle school or high school, and you have final exams each semester, get a two-part binder that you can use for both semesters.
  • Try using a fabric, zippable binder with file folders inside it as well as the binder rings.
  • If your school gives out physical copies of your schedule, try a DIY by gluing/taping it to scrapbook paper, trimming it nicely, adding décor, and putting it conveniently in your binder where you can always see it.
  • You can separate each subject with a labeled divider so you know which one is which.
  • To avoid your paper ripping buy reinforced paper
  • Use plastic sleeves to put papers in that haven't been hole punched
  • At the end of each semester, or when you've finished a subject, go through the assignments and notes. Only keep whatever you think will be needed for future reference.
  • Don't label anything miscellaneous, for you will get tempted to shove random papers and things in that pocket, and you'll become less organized.
  • Always have some sort of work area at home to do homework. You can personalize your desk as much as you want but keep your space tidy so you know where everything is.

Warnings

  • If you are the kind of person who rips paper make sure you don't need it
  • Even though your binder will be organized, a zip up binder is highly recommended. Be careful. If you don't use a zip up binder, your papers might fall out.

Things You'll Need

  • Binder/folder
  • Dividers or dividers with folders
  • Large amount of lined paper in the back
  • Planner or calendar (optional)
  • Lots of papers to organize
  • A table of contents (if desired)
  • Plastic Sleeves (optional)

Related Articles

  • Organize Your School Folders
  • Organize Your School Agenda

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