Stay Organized in School

Are your papers flying every which way when you open a folder or binder? Try this guide to help you stay organized for school.

Steps

  1. Get some basic supplies that everybody needs: pencils, pens, folders, notebooks, binders, loose-leaf paper, highlighters, spare lead if you use a mechanical pencil, etc. Most of the time your teachers will give you a list of supplies needed at the start of the year, but bring a few things like a pencil and some paper for the first day if you're not sure exactly what to bring. Also, a binder with a pocket is awesome.
  2. Make sure that you have pockets or sections in a binder for everything you have. If your teacher wants you to have a section for each part of class, make sure that you have the space for the separate things.Tip: Buy a folder that has many pockets and have 1-2 sections of it for each subject.
  3. Make sure you have spare lead/ink for pencils and pens. If you want to, bring a portable pencil sharpener, but that may not be necessary as most teachers generally have pencil sharpers available for you to use. You could also get a pencil sharpener for your house, but bring 3-5 pencils to class. Also, make sure you have a spare pen if you run out of ink. If you have a locker, get a pencil holder to put in your locker. Put extra pencils/pens in there so that if you need an extra and you don't have one, it's in your locker.
  4. It might not be the best idea to get a binder for every class. What if you have no homework except for a few worksheets? Why bring all of them home? Try combining a few subjects into one larger binder, by using dividers.
  5. Find a personal preference. Your teachers may want you to get big binders, but others might not care. Find what suits you and use it for whatever classes you have a choice in.
  6. Clean out your folders every month. Often homerooms will set aside a homework or study hall time, and you can clean out your binder during this time. Recycle anything you have tested on or covered already. Often (especially in middle school) the topics in a class will last only a week or two. Unless the teacher specifies to keep a worksheet, copy the information into your notebook and then recycle the worksheet. This way, if you happen to drop a notebook, papers don't fly all over.
  7. If you keep a day planner to keep track of assignments, rip out the pages once a week. Make sure to keep the current week intact. If you rip out the old pages and keep papers in a folder instead of your planner, the load will not be as heavy.
  8. Have fun with it! Organizing and getting your papers neat CAN be fun. If you have a HUGE binder, take everything out, organize it, put it back in, and look at what you did! You could make it half as big as it was before! That's also better for you, because it's half as heavy!



Tips

  • Be organized from the beginning, and it will be easier to stay this way throughout the school year.
  • Don't take all your folders home. Bring a homework folder to every class and as soon as you receive homework, place it in the folder with everything you will need. (Before you go home, make sure you have ALL the papers you will need for that assignment. Nothing is worse than getting home and realizing you don't have all the papers you need.)
  • Color code your belongings for each class - get a different color binder, folder, or notebook for different subjects.
  • It works great if you get multi-subject notebooks with plastic covers. The covers don't rip and you don't need to buy extra folders or notebooks.
  • Use an agenda so you don't forget your homework by the time the school day is over.
  • Have fun. Don't make it a chore to organize a notebook.
  • Label your materials so that if for any reason you misplace them, they can be returned.
  • Write Keep Forever in bold on papers that you might need later in the school year, that way when you are cleaning out your folder/binder, you will not throw an important paper away!
  • Getting a pencil box will help you organize your pencils, and a case with a creative pattern will give you a chance to express yourself.
  • Use lots of color in your notebook.
  • Cover your books and notebooks in plastic, so that they don't get damaged.

Warnings

  • Make sure you don't throw away papers until you're absolutely sure you won't need it anymore.
  • If you bring your laptop from class to class, you might want to scan all your notes and handouts. That way you can eliminate all the paper clutter and be able to find sheets faster.

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