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Staying organized is a great way to succeed in school. By organizing your assignments, school supplies, and study schedule, you’ll almost certainly find that it’s easier to keep up with your schoolwork, and you might even see an improvement in your grades! We interviewed academic counselor Ashley Pritchard, MA, to teach you all the best ways to be organized in school, no matter what grade you’re in.
Easy Ways to Stay Organized in School
- Sort your assignments into separate notebooks or folders.
- Use a paper or digital planner to keep up with due dates and meetings.
- Take notes in a way that you’ll be able to understand later.
- Develop a study schedule and stick to it.
- Take breaks while studying to prevent burnout.
Steps
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Expert Q&A
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QuestionHow do you stay organized in high school?Ashley Pritchard is an Academic and School Counselor at Delaware Valley Regional High School in Frenchtown, New Jersey. Ashley has over 3 years of high school, college, and career counseling experience. She has an MA in School Counseling with a specialization in Mental Health from Caldwell University and is certified as an Independent Education Consultant through the University of California, Irvine.Check your planner every day, and write down any homework, tests, or other important dates as soon as you learn about them. It can also help to keep a 3-ring binder with sections for each class you have.
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QuestionHow do you organize school notes?Ashley Pritchard is an Academic and School Counselor at Delaware Valley Regional High School in Frenchtown, New Jersey. Ashley has over 3 years of high school, college, and career counseling experience. She has an MA in School Counseling with a specialization in Mental Health from Caldwell University and is certified as an Independent Education Consultant through the University of California, Irvine.I suggest using a 3-ring binder and dividing your notes into sections for each class. If your teacher mentions that something will be on the test, be especially sure to write it down or highlight it.
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QuestionHow can I stay organized without a planner?Ashley Pritchard is an Academic and School Counselor at Delaware Valley Regional High School in Frenchtown, New Jersey. Ashley has over 3 years of high school, college, and career counseling experience. She has an MA in School Counseling with a specialization in Mental Health from Caldwell University and is certified as an Independent Education Consultant through the University of California, Irvine.If you have a phone, tablet, or computer, you can use the calendar app to record important dates and keep up with assignments!
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Tips
- Pritchard says the qualities of a good student include being “organized, self motivated, disciplined, [and] good self-advocates.” She recommends “asking for help when you need it [and] recognizing when you know something's not right.” [18] X Expert Source Ashley Pritchard, MA
School Counselor Expert Interview. 4 November 2019.Thanks - Don't expect to become organized overnight! It takes time, so be patient with yourself and have confidence that it'll work out soon.Thanks
- Set alarms on your phone to help you remember important deadlines, just in case you forget to check your planner.Thanks
Tips from our Readers
The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.
- If you are seriously unorganized, try looking through all your school papers and seeing which ones you really need. You don't want to have to go past that history paper you've had all year to get to all your other stuff! If you don't know, ask your teacher.
- Get in the habit of organizing at the beginning of the school year. Trying to change your method of organization in the middle of a school year can sometimes lead to losing things and forgetting your new way of organizing.
- Keep your notes in a dedicated notebook. Binders can be good for holding important papers for class, but they can get heavy and messy easily if you store everything in one.
- The library is a good place to study because it is quiet. You can also work on writing assignments there if you need more information about your topic.
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Things You'll Need
- Pencil case
- Binders
- Pencils
- Pens
- Notebooks
- Paper
- Highlighters
- Planner
- Sticky notes
- Organization tools (storage bins, pencil holders, etc.)
References
- ↑ https://so.ilitchbusiness.wayne.edu/knowledge/how-to-stay-organized-in-school
- ↑ https://so.ilitchbusiness.wayne.edu/knowledge/how-to-stay-organized-in-school
- ↑ Ashley Pritchard, MA. School Counselor. Expert Interview. 4 November 2019.
- ↑ https://so.ilitchbusiness.wayne.edu/knowledge/how-to-stay-organized-in-school
- ↑ https://learningcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/effective-note-taking-in-class/
- ↑ https://so.ilitchbusiness.wayne.edu/knowledge/how-to-stay-organized-in-school
- ↑ Ashley Pritchard, MA. School Counselor. Expert Interview. 4 November 2019.
- ↑ https://summer.harvard.edu/blog/top-10-study-tips-to-study-like-a-harvard-student/
- ↑ https://teachingcommons.stanford.edu/news/organization-strategies-students
- ↑ Ashley Pritchard, MA. School Counselor. Expert Interview. 4 November 2019.
- ↑ https://summer.harvard.edu/blog/top-10-study-tips-to-study-like-a-harvard-student/
- ↑ https://learningcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/studying-101-study-smarter-not-harder/
- ↑ https://www.colorado.edu/today/2020/09/09/tips-senior-6-ways-stay-organized
- ↑ https://summer.harvard.edu/blog/top-10-study-tips-to-study-like-a-harvard-student/
- ↑ https://summer.harvard.edu/blog/top-10-study-tips-to-study-like-a-harvard-student/
- ↑ Ashley Pritchard, MA. School Counselor. Expert Interview. 4 November 2019.
- ↑ https://www.greatschools.org/gk/articles/get-organized-for-school/
- ↑ Ashley Pritchard, MA. School Counselor. Expert Interview. 4 November 2019.
About This Article
Article Summary
X
To be organized in school, start by setting up a different color binder for each class, like red for English and blue for math, and labeling dividers to keep notes, assignments, and tests in separate sections. Additionally, use a planner to write down things like homework assignments and club meeting dates, and check it every day to stay on track. You should also try to keep your backpack and locker clean and organized. For example, use caddies in your locker to keep things neat, or keep your pencil case in an outside backpack pocket for easy access. For more tips, like how to use the Cornell method to organize your class notes, read on!
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- "I think what helped me the most was the topic on the locker information, especially the idea to do a weekly clean! Also, what to put in your backpack, since I tend to personally put junk/random stuff in my bag! Lots of great ideas. I love your website!" ..." more
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"I think what helped me the most was the topic on the locker information, especially the idea to do a weekly clean! Also, what to put in your backpack, since I tend to personally put junk/random stuff in my bag! Lots of great ideas. I love your website!"
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"I came across the tip where it said to put the date on your work. I feel like this helped me the most because in my previous year of school, when I would go to look for notes to study for a test, I couldn't find it because they were mixed up."
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"What helped my was how I should keep my pencil case clean and the certain supplies I needed. I aced a test with this, as I had an organized study folder, space, organized desk, and bag! Everyone's asking me in class: How did you do that?"
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"This really helped me to get more organized. I'm currently very organized but I still feel like I'm all over the place. This article helped me to learn new things I hadn't thought of trying yet. Thank you!"
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"I pretty much have half of the stuff I would usually have for school this year due to changes, and I was looking for a way to be better at school. I also wanted to be successful, and this was perfect!"
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