Getting organised

How many times have you needed to find your bank statement from last month or lecture notes for week 3 and it took you ages to go through piles of papers… you checked every drawer in your desk, every inch of your backpack, just to find it behind the desk a few hours later? It doesn’t matter whether it’s work or study-related stuff, getting organised will help you in becoming more efficient and finding the info you’re looking for much quicker. Plus your shelves and drawers will look neater :-)

The second semester at uni has already started, but it is never too late to start organising your lecture notes and readings into nice folders. My system is to have each subject/module in a separate folder, with the module guide at the front and lecture notes put neatly in polly pockets (or just punched). Also, any extra papers or readings can be put in the folders too, so if you need to check something, it’s all there in one place. Remember to sort out the lecture notes regularly (e.g. every week).

Another thing I do at the beginning of each semester is to write down all the deadlines on one deadline sheet. Whether it’s an exam, portfolio or essay, I put them down along with the due date and the percentage of the overall mark. If you put your list in a visible place, you will never miss a deadline again! Plus it keeps you motivated and helps you in calculating your overall mark after.​

Folders could also be used to store your energy bills, bank statements or important letters. I promise you, putting everything in order now will save you time later, when you need to find something. If you’re a very busy person and have a lot of paperwork coming in every day, I recommend a set of filing trays, with ‘to do’, ‘done’ or ‘for filing’ sections. Or just have a tray for each of your modules, then you’ll see which module is up to date and which requires more attention.

What are your organising tips?

* Disclaimer: I consider myself as a generally messy person, however at work or in my study room I always like to have things nicely organised. It really helps :-)