![\"post](\"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/sat\/files\/2014\/07\/post-its.jpg\")
<\/a><\/center><\/p>\nwhether you\u2019re fluent in the magical arts of organization looking for some extra tips, or you’re a student who is only reading this because your mom emailed it to you in a last-ditch effort to get you to finally, finally, organize the mess of loose papers in your backpack, this post hopefully has some useful tips and explanations that will help you keep everything straight.
\n <\/p>\n
organizing classwork & homework<\/h2>\nthe easiest (and most fundamental) place to start organizing is with the physical papers you deal with on a day-to-day basis. from assignment papers you get in class, to the math homework you always manage to lose from the moment you put it in your backpack to the moment you need it in class (i swear it\u2019s in here!)\u2014i\u2019ve written up the most common ways students keep their papers in order:<\/p>\n
\n- binders & notebooks.<\/strong> classic, a binder with a divider for every class, or a separate binder for every class is a great way to go. a spiral bound notebook for note-heavy classes (math and language classes for starters) is also a great idea so you have chronological notes where you can\u2019t lose a loose sheet.<\/li>\n
- folders.<\/strong> maybe you have an addiction to kawaii japanese school supplies, and individual folders are more your style. great! but i would not suggest this for someone who struggles with organization because it requires that you only keep with you the bare minimum of what you need, lest you spend excessive amounts of time searching through loose sheets of paper.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
![\"new](\"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/sat\/files\/2014\/07\/new-cute-cartoon-style-file-folder-a4-documents-file-bag-stationery-filing-production-wholesale-in-file-folder-from-office-school-supplies-on-aliexpress.com_-300x269.png\")
<\/a><\/center><\/p>\n\n- computer folders.<\/strong> deceptively simple, this is actually a fairly complicated task. if you take notes on your computer, it can be difficult to keep track of word docs, emailed drafts, google drive, and whatever is on that flash drive you\u2019ve kept in your backpack for years but never use. the best advice i can give to keep your cyberspace in order is to keep detailed folders (i.e. a \u201cclass notes\u201d folder within your \u201cap biology\u201d folder) and to always put draft numbers in file titles. also remember that google drive has folder options, and it can be wonderful to keep important documents backed up there in case of a crash (no really, you can\u2019t imagine how sad i was i brought soup to school that fateful day in my backpack).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
<\/p>\n
organizing assignments<\/h2>\nthe next important step in learning the dark arts of organization is keeping careful track of assignments, or things you need to do. many only do this for homework (which is a wonderful place to start), but if you find yourself struggling to remember everything outside of school you need to do, it\u2019s a good idea to start writing that stuff down too. tasks for extracurriculars, chores, college application details, and\/or a part time job are numerous and confusing if you try to remember them all at once.<\/p>\n
as with school work, you have several common options for how to organize your school and general to-do lists:<\/p>\n
\n- paper agenda.<\/strong> the best thing about an agenda is that you get to physically write down and check off tasks. if you\u2019re a kinesthetic learner, this might be a good option for you because it will be easier for you to remember when you\u2019ve done something (because you went through the motion of crossing it out).<\/li>\n
- smartphone apps.<\/strong> what i love about smartphone app organization is that you always have them around, and won\u2019t forget your lists places. if you have a habit of losing things, this would be a great option for you because most to-do apps also connect to a website that you can access from any computer (in the awful situation that you lose your phone). additionally, they are great for setting timed reminders that will beep at you when it\u2019s time to do something. the only common drawback is that many times when you\u2019re entering your homework into your phone teachers sometimes think you\u2019re texting, but just let them know you\u2019re actually being a good student and doing the right thing. my favorite apps are:\n
\n- reminders for the iphone (check out this link<\/a> on how to best use it)<\/li>\n
- myhomework (keeps track of class times for you)<\/li>\n
- wunderlist (great for sharing to-do lists and deadlines on group projects)<\/li>\n
- cozi (for family tasks)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
![\"the](\"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/sat\/files\/2014\/07\/the-ios-7-reminders-icon-benjamin-mayo-150x150.png\")
<\/a>![\"myhomework](\"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/sat\/files\/2014\/07\/myhomework-reviews-edshelf.png\")
<\/a>![\"wunderlist](\"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/sat\/files\/2014\/07\/wunderlist-icon-by-flakshack-on-deviantart-150x150.png\")
<\/a>![\"free](\"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/sat\/files\/2014\/07\/free-amazon-app-today-page-3-android-tablet-os-apps-slatedroid.com_-150x150.png\")
<\/a><\/center><\/p>\nkeep an eye out for a list of other helpful high school apps<\/a> on the magoosh blog, and remember that your organizational system can be a mix of different apps. mine was actually all four of them.
\n <\/p>\n
organizing thoughts<\/h2>\nthe final step in the full sweep of get-your-life-together organization is note-taking. because chances are, if your homework is disorganized, so are your notes. but you\u2019re in luck! just like the rest of these tips, organized note-taking is something everyone can be good at with effort and practice. it\u2019s also really, important that you take organized notes so that you can find what you need when you\u2019re searching back through them to study.<\/p>\n
this video can help you get started:<\/p>\n
![\"new](\"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/sat\/files\/2014\/07\/new-cute-cartoon-style-file-folder-a4-documents-file-bag-stationery-filing-production-wholesale-in-file-folder-from-office-school-supplies-on-aliexpress.com_.png\")
<\/a><\/center><\/p>\n- \n
- computer folders.<\/strong> deceptively simple, this is actually a fairly complicated task. if you take notes on your computer, it can be difficult to keep track of word docs, emailed drafts, google drive, and whatever is on that flash drive you\u2019ve kept in your backpack for years but never use. the best advice i can give to keep your cyberspace in order is to keep detailed folders (i.e. a \u201cclass notes\u201d folder within your \u201cap biology\u201d folder) and to always put draft numbers in file titles. also remember that google drive has folder options, and it can be wonderful to keep important documents backed up there in case of a crash (no really, you can\u2019t imagine how sad i was i brought soup to school that fateful day in my backpack).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
<\/p>\n
organizing assignments<\/h2>\n
the next important step in learning the dark arts of organization is keeping careful track of assignments, or things you need to do. many only do this for homework (which is a wonderful place to start), but if you find yourself struggling to remember everything outside of school you need to do, it\u2019s a good idea to start writing that stuff down too. tasks for extracurriculars, chores, college application details, and\/or a part time job are numerous and confusing if you try to remember them all at once.<\/p>\n
as with school work, you have several common options for how to organize your school and general to-do lists:<\/p>\n
- \n
- paper agenda.<\/strong> the best thing about an agenda is that you get to physically write down and check off tasks. if you\u2019re a kinesthetic learner, this might be a good option for you because it will be easier for you to remember when you\u2019ve done something (because you went through the motion of crossing it out).<\/li>\n
- smartphone apps.<\/strong> what i love about smartphone app organization is that you always have them around, and won\u2019t forget your lists places. if you have a habit of losing things, this would be a great option for you because most to-do apps also connect to a website that you can access from any computer (in the awful situation that you lose your phone). additionally, they are great for setting timed reminders that will beep at you when it\u2019s time to do something. the only common drawback is that many times when you\u2019re entering your homework into your phone teachers sometimes think you\u2019re texting, but just let them know you\u2019re actually being a good student and doing the right thing. my favorite apps are:\n
- \n
- reminders for the iphone (check out this link<\/a> on how to best use it)<\/li>\n
- myhomework (keeps track of class times for you)<\/li>\n
- wunderlist (great for sharing to-do lists and deadlines on group projects)<\/li>\n
- cozi (for family tasks)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a><\/center><\/p>\n
keep an eye out for a list of other helpful high school apps<\/a> on the magoosh blog, and remember that your organizational system can be a mix of different apps. mine was actually all four of them.
\n <\/p>\norganizing thoughts<\/h2>\n
the final step in the full sweep of get-your-life-together organization is note-taking. because chances are, if your homework is disorganized, so are your notes. but you\u2019re in luck! just like the rest of these tips, organized note-taking is something everyone can be good at with effort and practice. it\u2019s also really, important that you take organized notes so that you can find what you need when you\u2019re searching back through them to study.<\/p>\n
this video can help you get started:<\/p>\n
![\"the](\"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/sat\/files\/2014\/07\/the-ios-7-reminders-icon-benjamin-mayo.png\"){kind=icon}
<\/a>![\"wunderlist](\"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/sat\/files\/2014\/07\/wunderlist-icon-by-flakshack-on-deviantart.png\"){kind=icon}
<\/a>![\"free](\"\/\/www.catharsisit.com\/sat\/files\/2014\/07\/free-amazon-app-today-page-3-android-tablet-os-apps-slatedroid.com_.png\")
<\/a><\/center><\/p>\n