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aisle between bookshelves in library
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Life

The Benefits of Making Your Workspace Look Like a Pintrest Board

Grayson Hanes
American Contributor
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at American chapter.

I used to be the person sitting in the back fishing a single sheet of paper out of the bottom of my backpack. My locker once got so messy, I forgot about a salad for an entire semester. You don’t want to know how that ended up. How did I go from hot mess to literally teaching a class on organization? I was introduced to the beautiful world of “studyblr”. Studyblr is a world unto itself on Tumblr where a community of young women run blogs on, you guessed it, their picture-perfect notes.

I found that by taking a little extra time to beautify my schoolwork, I was more confident in the classroom (hello participation points!). Because I now enjoy taking notes, I slow down during readings and, in turn, better understand the subject that I’m studying. So, here are my best study secrets to keeping your supplies organized and stylish.

Step 1: Your Study Space

Your study space should be well-equipped, so you have NO EXCUSES to get up. I like to keep my betta fish, Claudio, on my desk to keep me company when I’m studying and to remind myself that I work hard to provide a better life for him.

Step 2: Your Binders

I’m a paper person.  Digital files get lost too way easily and there’s tons of research that handwriting your notes leads to greater success. I highly recommend Staples’ better binder to organize your papers. I bought two of them my freshman year of high school and they lasted me through senior year. Currently, they’re enjoying a second life as my dad’s binders.

I’m also a big fan of color-coding. Each of my classes has its designated color so I can always tell what is what at a glance. I use washi tape around the border and calligraphy a title page. If you’re less artistically inclined, you can download a template for your cover.

Inside each of my binders, I put a folder to corral handouts that haven’t been hole-punched yet or pages I’m too lazy to file. I also use my Brother label maker to make labels for my tabs to keep my pages organized.

Step 3: Your Planner 

If you don’t have a planner, open a new tab and buy one right now. You’re lying to yourself if you think you can keep track of all of your assignments in your head. In your monthly view, put down any major due dates or events so you can see your month at a glance. In your weekly view, put down anything and everything that needs to be done! I like to use washi tape and stickers to differentiate between events. 

Step 4: Your Notes

Taking good notes is essential to your educational success! It will give you a guide for remembering the information later while also helping you to process the information. When you have to think about what is important and how it should be organized, you will learn it much more efficiently. Studies have shown that students who work from broad notes do better on tests than those who rely on taking down everything verbatim.

    Quick Tips for Flawless Notes: 

  • Always start with a big header with the name of the class, the date and your name.
  • Use mini-headers to separate into sections and, if you’re feeling extra, use your ruler to do so.
  • If you are a visual learner, draw diagrams. 
  • Make your notes brief – only include the important things. 
  • Highlight formulas, vocabulary words, examples, etc. I like to use different colors. 
  • Most importantly, write legibly and keep your notes in a good place where you can find them!

Over time, you’ll develop your own system for keeping your stuff organized. These tips and inspo will help you jumpstart you’re own studyblr – or just make your workspace a little more pleasing to look at. 

Grayson Hanes

American '22

Grayson Elise Hanes is a member of the class of 2022 at American University. She is majoring in Political Science and Education with a concentration in gender studies. She hopes to work to improve public schools in her hometown of Baltimore and across the United States. Grayson has previously interned in the Maryland Statehouse with Delegate Steve Lafferty, and in the Senate with Senators Cardin and Gillibrand. In her little free time, Grayson enjoys spending time with her fish, Claudio, and with the kids of Bridges Baltimore, a program that seeks to Bridge the gap between Baltimore's struggling public schools and Baltimore's private schools, as a mentor, teacher, private tutor, and anything else the kids may need. She has spent five years and over 2,000 hours with the program.
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