Back to School : tips for getting into the swing of things

It is now the second full week of classes and I am starting to feel like I am getting into my routine, although Labor Day did throw me off a little.  I love setting a routine and sticking to it as much as possible.  I think routines make life so much easier and really help you to stay on top of things, don't you agree?  I try to wake up early, even on days when I don't have class, so that I can have plenty of time to work on homework, blogging and any other work I have during the day.  This allows me to attend club meetings, watch television and hang out with friends at night.

1. Organize your notebooks | I like to start each semester with freshly organized notebooks and binders.  I tend to wait until I get to class to decide how to best organize my materials for the semester.  If the class is very note heavy I tend to bring my laptop to take notes, so I organize with three-ring binders.  If the class is math related or discussion based I tend to use spiral notebooks to take notes, since there isn't as much writing.

2. Write all important dates in your planner | I love writing in a fresh new planner at the beginning of the year.  I know, I'm a nerd.  But, I think writing in my planner is so much fun!  It's even better this year, since Lilly Pulitzer has come out with fun academic stickers.

3.  Print all syllabi & important papers from each class | It is crucial to make sure you organize and print all the necessary papers for the semester if your professors don't hand them out in class.  This really helps you to understand what your responsibilities are for the semester. 

4.  Highlight important things to remember | Highlight, highlight, highlight!  I always start each semester by going through my syllabi and highlighting all important dates (i.e. exams, papers, projects) and other information to remember (i.e. office hours, attendance policies, etc.).

5. Organize your space | I think it is crucial to start each semester with a freshly cleaned and organized room.  If you're moving into a new apartment or dorm this is simple, just make sure you're totally unpacked by the first day of classes.  Being organized in time for your first class will reduce your stress level and make waking up each morning for class much easier.  If I have an early class I try to organize all my papers and materials the night before so I won't forget anything when rushing around in the morning.

How do you start off each semester? 

xoxo

organize, me : desk.

Summer school is over and I finally get a summer break!  But, before I left my apartment for two months I cleaned out my desk and re-organized everything.  It felt so good to be organized again.  I hate feeling like my room is cluttered.

I organized all my old notes into binders and recycled the ones I no longer needed.  I tested all my pens and tossed the ones that did not work.

Before

 

As you can see my desk was a huge mess, I never cleaned it out at the end of the spring semester and it was driving me insane!

I use this blue canvas zip box to hold my textbooks and notebooks during the semester.

My desk doesn't have a lot of storage space, so I use this four drawer plastic storage container to hold miscellaneous things like paper, chargers, and flash cards.

One drawer holds all my paper and flash cards so they're always on hand when I'm studying or working.

I use this drawer to hold extra school supplies like dividers, notebooks and printer ink.

The top drawer holds all my random school supplies like my 3-hole-punch, pencil sharpener and calculators.  It's important to have them within reach when working.

Here is a view inside the top left drawer of my desk.

Here is a view of the top right drawer.

It was so nice to organize all my pens and clean-out the ones that no longer work.  The top drawer holds all my colored sharpies, the middle drawer holds pens and pencils and the bottom drawer holds random things like stamps and erasers. 

After

How do you keep your desk organized?

- KD

organize, me : dream closet.

I have a walk-in closet (at home and at school), but it's kinda small.  It works, but if it were a little bit bigger (and had a better set up) then it would be much more organized.  Which, is something that is very important to me.  Don't you wish your closet could be just like Carrie's from Sex and the City?  It's fab-u-lous!

I feel like most closets don't have enough space for things like shoes, bags and accessories.  But, all of these closets have a lot of space for all kinds of things you might need to store!

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I have lived in a few different apartments, here {check out another one here} is one of my closets.

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Here are some articles I found to help you better organize your closet, no matter how big or small it may be.

Real Simple article 31 Ways to Make Over Your Closets.

Martha Stewart tips for Organizing Closets.

Lucky Magazine article How to Organize Your Closet.

What does your dream closet look like?

xo KD

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organize, me : side table

I think it is very useful having a side table by my bed (or two).  Having adequate lighting by your bed is also important.  At home I have a side table with a shelf and drawer.  I keep books on the shelf (aka my Harry Potter collection) and the drawer is full of miscellaneous things.  It's also handy having a place to sit a glass of water and my iPad (or book).

My bedroom at home.

{bedding & pillows, side table, bed}

Side Table

Inside the drawer

Inside my side table I keep my TV remote, glasses and miscellaneous books and magazines.  It's also useful to have a hair-tie and chap-stick near your bed.

Second Side Table

What do you keep in your bedside table?

xo KD

organize, me : finals.

When exams roll around I try to stay super organized to lower my stress level.  I make a lot of lists and double and triple check to make sure I study all the correct material.  Don't you just hate it when you get to an exam and the questions look completely different then you expected!?  We've all (well at least I've) had those times when we felt like we could've studies a little more... and the one part we didn't study was like 50% of the exam.  That's why I've gotten so OCD about list making and boy does it help!

Each week I make a list of the homework, readings and lectures that I need to complete.  When one is completed I highlight it.  On Sunday night or Monday I go through my list and see what I may not have had time to complete the week before and I make my new list.  I try to not let readings and online classes get piled up, but occasionally I let something fall out of my mind and get put off...

I use a Lilly Pulitzer notebook to write to-do lists and homework assignments in.

 

For exams I write down all the chapters, lectures and readings on the test and mark each one off when I have studied it.

Aren't these Lilly Pulitzer stickys just adorable? They make studying a little brighter.

How do you stay organized during finals?

organize, me : self control.

Finals are in full swing.  If I didn't stay super organized during this time of the year, I would have a major panic-attack!  During the semester I make a million to-do lists, but when midterms and finals roll around I make even more... if that's even possible.  

Staying focused and organized is the only way that I survive school.  I am just not one of those people who can wait until the last minute or pull an all-nighter and do well.  That's just not me.

The Self Control app has been a lifesaver for me.  I get so easily distracted by Facebook, Twitter, blogging and pretty much anything non-school related.  There have been times that I have sat at the library for an hour before I've even cracked a book... not good!  That's where the Self Control app comes into play and boy does it help.

Self Control

 

Self Control allows you choose how long and what sites you want to block.  I typically turn it on for one or two hours, depending how much I need to get done and then give myself a 5-10 minute "reward" break and then turn it on again.

You can choose what sites to block by choosing Blacklist or you can block all sites, except ones that you select by choosing Whitelist.  Although, I have never had the guts to choose Whitelist... that seems like way to much of a commitment.

 

A time clock on the screen and at the bottom shows you how much time you have left.

 

If you "forget" don't worry, it won't let you get on blocked sites... even if you try!

Have you used Self Control?

Organize, Me : Back to School

I too have always prided myself on the fact that organization is one of my strengths.  However, this semester I have been a bit slow to get organized (and stay organized).  I don't know what my problem is, but I decided I need to fix it.  So, today I don't have classes and I haven't started back to work at the UAA so today is organization day.  I am pumped and ready to be back to myself.  To the naked eye most people would say I was incredibly organized.  My room is relatively clean and organized, but my school life just hasn't gotten to that point yet.

Typically, I start every semester by buying my books and school supplies (or reusing supplies from the previous semester if I can...Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!).  I purchased my first textbook yesterday (over a week after the semester started...EEK!).  I have seriously done the bare minimum for all my classes for the past week.  I have been oversleeping and watching entirely too much TV...I'm not sure what has gotten into me.  On the up-side I have been to the gym six times since I have been back at school, this is a record for me (and it's one of my goals for 2012).

Now that I have sufficiently vented about my overall laziness this semester, I figured I would give you guys a few tips on my I usually stay organized and on top of things during the semester.  I am a Senior in college so after four years of high school and now almost four years of college I feel like I have finally gotten into a good routine for studying and keeping up with homework and assignments.  I got a few of these tips from The College Prepster about a year ago, she is seriously so incredibly helpful (sorry if I seem obsessed, I promise I'm not crazy).

I organize my documents on my Mac by semester and then by class.  I think it's a good idea to keep files from previous semesters to refer to in future classes (particularly files from previous classes I've taken in my major).  It is very helpful to have old notes and Power Point slides to refer to from other professors during assignments or preparation for exams (since professors often expect you to remember what you've already learned and we all know that is hard to do sometimes).  It is also a lot easier to keep files stored on a computer than it is to have a hard copy in a folder on your desk.

It is important to always know what you have coming up in all your classes so that you're never blindsided by assignments, projects, quizzes or exams.  I keep up with assignments on three calendars.  I have a monthly dry-erase calendar on my wall by my desk so I can always see what I have coming up during the next few weeks.  I keep a second calendar on my Mac, which also transfers to my iPad and iPhone so I always have it with me (iCloud is seriously the best invention ever!).  My third calendar is a Lilly Pulitzer planner.  It is so cute and fun to write in and I can look at it without my professors thinking that I'm texting in class.  It is so helpful to have things written down in multiple locations so I know that I won't miss anything important.

I am so happy to be organized and back into school mode.  Being organized always helps me lower my stress-level throughout the semester.