Organization?

Question

I am a student in highschool and I have a problem with organization. It seems that everytime I try to create a binder or folder, I end up having millions of unorganized paper all stuffed up in the binder/folder. Does anyone know how to keep all my papers organized without having to carry a 100 pound backpack with a whole bunch of different binders for all 7 classes? I want to stay organized but I do not want a heavy load.

Answer 1

Here's what I would do.

The binder can work, but I would get a binder that is JUST big enough for everything. The bigger the binder, the more space you will think you have and the quicker it will become a mess. A small binder REQUIRES you to stay on top of keeping it organized. Do the "one in, one out" rule - when you add a page, try to take out another page that is not necessary anymore. If you need to save old notes or activities for end-of-the-year finals or something, put them in separate pocket folders (sorted by subjects) and leave them at home.

I would definitely use dividers for the different classes, rather than seven difference binders. Consolidate everything, and continuously clean it out.

Something that I have started at home to keep me on top of things is having one job each day (except Sunday - I take a break). For example, on Monday I vacuum the house, on Tuesday I change the bedding, on Wednesday I scrub the bathrooms, on Thursday I pay the bills, etc. It makes the overall difficult job manageable because I do just one little thing a day. You could take the same approach with your schoolwork. Maybe just pick one day - like Friday, for example - as your pre-determined day to clean out old papers and get organized again if the "hustle and bustle" of the school week has made you slip a bit. Keeping up with it once a week isn't too daunting a task, and will help you tremendously.

Hope this advice helps! :o)