Keeping your study space organized is an important part of getting stuff done. If it’s a mess, it won’t motivate you to do your work! At this point of the year, your original enthusiasm for a clean desk has faded, and you’re looking for some fresh ideas. Look no further! Read on to find seven great tips for keeping an organized study space in your room.
1. Color code your calendar:
This allows you to see what event you’ve committed to by just glancing. Make sure to include a key! It’s also sort of fun– every month, choose a new color scheme for all of your categories. Here’s an example from my own calendar.
An example of a color coded calendar, photo by Maria Brandt.
2. Every time you take something out, put it back!
This may seem obvious, but we all need a reminder sometimes. We all know how easily stuff piles up, and soon, you feel overwhelmed! Honestly, we all know how it goes.
3. Make your space a place you want to be:
This could possibly be the most important section here. Make your study space comfortable (but not too comfortable!) by adding a more cushioned chair. If you don’t live in the dorms, light a candle so that your area smells nice. If playing soft music is something that helps you, turn on some smooth jazz and start on that essay! Making your study space somewhere you can take pride in will mean that you don’t want it to get messy in the first place.
4. Label your cords with washi tape:
You may have already heard this, but washi tape is an amazing invention for, well, anything. I personally use washi tape to hang up pictures and label folders, but you can use yours to tell cords apart!
Cords labeled with washi tape are fun and functional! Photo courtesy of Simply Spaced, simplyspaced.com
5. Have a designated spot for all of your finished work:
Remember how your elementary school teacher had a “turn in” basket somewhere in the room? That’s an idea you can steal. If you have printed work (i.e. worksheets, papers, et cetera), have a specific spot to put it while you finish the rest of whatever you need to do. This way, you won’t get distracted from what you still need to get done, and you can put all your finished work in its real home (that subject’s folder) later!
6. Put any miscellaneous stuff in its very own folder:
Do you have a receipt that you need to save, but you don’t know where to put it? What about your major declaration form or other school papers? Give all that a place to be other than your desk drawer. Get a folder, mark it miscellaneous, there you go!
7. What about personal things?
Having a box to put memories in is a great idea. Whether it’s a card from your grandpa, a photo of you and your high school friends, or a random doodle you thought was really good, you want somewhere to keep these things from getting mixed up in your schoolwork or recycled. Get a box— I personally have a shoebox that I keep personal belongings in, but devoting a sturdier plastic tote would also work well!
I hope these ideas inspire you to do a little spring cleaning to make your desk a great place to study. Of course, there are also other great organizational tips that I didn’t add. I encourage you to find a way to organize that works for you!