Five 1-Minute Back to School Organizing Tips

Picture by Christopher Webb

It's September 1st today, and in many countries that means the beginning of a new school year. I used to love these days when I was a student. Obviously, the end of the summer holiday is no feast, but it's a great time to take a new start at being efficient and productive.
If you want to make your year a success, it's important to start off the right way.
Maybe these 5 tips below can nudge you in the right direction.

1. Plan your time.
   Unless this is your first year in school, you'll have some idea of how much time you need to take for homework (doing or correcting), and other assignments. Set aside a specific time every week (or ever day) in which to do this. Write it down now! It's much nicer to get an unexpected afternoon off than to have to cancel a fun activity because you didn't have time to do your homework.
   
2. Organize your notes.
   Do this every single day. When you get home from school, put all your papers in order when you take them out of the bag. This doesn't take more than a minute, but saves you soooo much time at the end of the term when you're trying to get everything ready for the pre-exam cram sessions.
   
3. Keep supplies up to date.
   Nothing quite as annoying as running out of ink for your fountain pen, or staples for your stapler. Buy a double supply and keep it in a designated drawer of your desk. Keep it neat so you can see what you need to fill up on when the time comes.
   
4. Start a study/work log.
   A great way to motivate and track yourself is to start up a log of all the time you spend working/studying. Write down what you're working on each time. You can use a notebook for this, or a diary if you have one that provides ample space.
   Just jot down in short what you did so you can go back later and know how far you've progressed. Also a good way to find out what your high-maintenance areas are in terms of required study time.
   
5. Write down your goals.
   Think of what you want to accomplish this year, this semester, this month, this week. Is there something you need to work on? For me, self-discipline and clutter were big issues (long live this blog, forcing me to figure out ways around my own flaws). But it could also be balancing study and fun, or paying more attention.
   Paste your goal above your desk. Write it in your school diary. Keep it in mind.

I hope you have a wonderful new school year, and can find joy and excitement in figuring out this amazing world one small piece at a time.