Tuesday Tidbit: School Organization/Study Tips
Organization is key to living a less stressful life. Here are 20 tips on how to stay organized for school.
By Emma Bartley
1. Get an agenda or planner! The first step to staying organized is to write down what you need to do. You can’t memorize every task you have to do; if you have a planner, you can refer to it when you forget!
2. Color-code your notes! Make each color mean something: yellow highlights are vocab words, blue highlights are concepts you need help with, etc.
3. Get ready the night before! Lay out your lunch, get your clothes ready, and put everything else you need by the door so you won’t forget.
4. Set reminders and alarms! It helps to keep you on task when you start getting a bit disorganized.
5. Keep your important papers in one spot! That way, you won’t lose them.
6. Plan ahead! Don’t wait until the last minute to do things. That just leads to more and more stress!
7. Use post-it notes or daily lists! If you think of something small, you can write it down before you forget. Plus, it is very rewarding to cross something off of a list.
8. Minimize distractions while you are working! You can be more productive when you don’t feel the need to check your phone or see what’s happening on the TV.
9. Keep your work area clean! Make sure you are working on a flat surface with room to spread out your things.
10. Figure out how you study best! If you work better with sound, play some background music! If you need quiet, go to a silent space to do your homework.
11. Do things when you have time! If you are bored, be efficient with your work. If you get ahead of things while you can, you will reduce your stress.
12. Take breaks while you are studying! Set certain periods of time to work, but then take a five-minute break. If you work for too long, you will get tired.
13. Eat healthily and get lots of rest! You work best when you are well-rested and feel well.
14. Clean out your things every so often! Once a month, clean out your binders, folders, and purses for papers or other items that you no longer need.
15. Set goals for yourself! By accomplishing small goals, you will feel positive and on top of it.
16. Review information for small amounts of time over multiple days. Don’t cram all of the information the night before!
17. Ask for help if you need it! If you are stuck on something, ask a friend, teacher, or parent. People are always happy to help!
18. Keep your notes organized and readable. Don’t waste time rewriting notes and making them pretty, but if some notes are really messy, you may want to rewrite them. After all, you want to be able to read your notes!
19. Make flashcards or quizlets! Flashcards are extremely helpful and are easy to make.
20. Take time for yourself! Do something that you enjoy! Don’t overburden yourself with school work and extra-curriculars. You know what you are capable of.