Getting organized for study isn’t easy. I mean, we all enjoy browsing cute diaries and new pens, and we all intend to be super organized and get everything done, but once you add in the distractions of friends, classes, after school activities, the internet…well, we’re all guilty of spending a little too much time doing other things. Here are our top tips for getting organized, to make studying so much easier.
Dedicate some space to use just for studying, and keep it set up. You want somewhere with good lighting, that is pretty quiet, and comfortable. Make sure you have all the equipment that you’ll need there, including a dictionary and thesaurus, spare paper, pencils and pens, a stapler…literally anything you could need. And keep the internet away! Having a set space to study will make it so much easier.
Get a little plastic filing cabinet and label each drawer with a day. When you get an assignment, put the papers in the drawer for the day that you’re going to do it. Do the same with study notes, and anything else. When you sit down at your study area, get the drawer out for today, and you’ll have everything that you need to do ready. Easy.
There are plenty of designs for this, so feel free to search the internet and print someone else's if you don’t fancy designing your own! Once you’ve got it, use post-it notes to put up your goals for the week. Try to make at least three study-related, and reward yourself for achieving each one with a non-study-related goal.
I really struggle with this one! At the start of the term, it’s really easy to be organized and get everything done, because you’ve got no clutter. Clutter builds up through the weeks, and soon you’ve got loads of it. Don’t let it happen! Allocate ten minutes each week to declutter, and throw away anything you don’t need any more. You’ll find you are so much more productive when you’re not drowning in stuff!
To Do lists are brilliant for making sure that you get everything done. Try writing yours at night, just before you wind down for bed. Jot down everything that you need to do the next day, and an approximate amount of time that it will take. Highlight the three most important items, and give yourself a bit of paper at the bottom to scribble down anything that you need to remember. Not only will you wake up with a clear, prioritized list of what you need to do, but you’ll sleep much better, too.
Make a system at the start of the term, and allocate every one of your lessons a color. Buy folders and notebooks in those colors, and use them for that class alone. You’ll find that your brain starts to associate the lesson with the color, which can help when it comes to memorizing things, and you’ll feel organized and on-track. You’ll be amazed at how much of a difference this can make.
Studying is difficult, and it’s totally easy to become a world-class procrastinator rather than actually getting it done. Recognise when you are procrastinating, and take steps to overcome it. Break big tasks into smaller chunks, and focus 100% throughout them. Eliminate noise and distractions, even if you have to turn your phone off for thirty minutes. Set yourself realistic expectations. Set priorities and goals, and achieve them! It’s not necessarily a weakness to be a procrastinator, but it’s definitely a strength to be able to overcome it and get stuff done.
If you follow these tips, you’ll find that your studying gets much easier, and you’ll be flying through your lessons! You’ll also reduce deadline stress, and make sure that you get the best results possible. If you’re still really struggling to get a handle on your studies, make sure you get help, though. There will be a way that works for you! Do you have any organization tips that make studying easier? Let me know!