This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at JMU chapter.

It’s time to get real collegiettes™: Many of you have probably made a New Year’s resolution to go to the gym for two hours a day every day and only eat organic negative calorie foods for the rest of your life. Most of you have probably found yourself skipping the gym in favor of cheesy Thursday at D-Hall already.While I firmly believe that there is nothing wrong with indulging in a delicious grilled cheese now and again, it’s often hard to keep the lofty resolutions us ladies set for ourselves every December 31^st. We at HerCampus are here with your guide to getting your semester together through the simplest resolution of them all – getting and staying organized! Keeping your belongings tidy and your appointments neat will help to keep you focused, productive and energized throughout the semester. Who knows, you might even be inspired to start actually hitting the gym.

First things first, you need to get your academic items for the semester under your thumb. If your professors tend to use a lot of online documents via Blackboard, creating a series of folders for your desktop will make accessing those documents and your course work a lot easier. Start with a folder for the semester such as “Spring 2012.” Inside that you can create folders for each individual class that can hold syllabi, papers and reading schedules. If you’re not into having everything electronically, print out each syllabus and staple it to the inside or front cover of a pocket folder for each class. You can keep all of your information in these folders and even color-code them!

Once you have your class work in order, you’ll want to make sure you have your daily schedule down pat. If you haven’t already done so, it is absolutely time to invest in a planner.

Ladies, the planner is your friend. Commit to using it. If you write down everything including homework, coffee dates and grocery lists, you will have a go-to reference if you ever feel like things are bogging you down. If you absolutely refuse to use your planner, than please get some sort of desk or wall calendar to keep track of what you need to do. There is no better feeling than crossing one, two, or more things off of your to-do list!

If you live in a dorm without Wi-Fi, you understand the frustration that comes along with multiple cords running all over your desk and adding to your even larger mess of office supplies and papers. A clear desktop leads to a focused workspace and a clear head; you want to make sure everything is where you need it so you can get your work finished on time. Try to keep your decorations to a minimum if you don’t have a desk hutch or shelf, and if you do, place items you don’t reach for frequently higher up on the shelf. Find cute containers for your paper clips, thumb tacks, pens etc. Bed, Bath & Beyond makes a great multi-compartment desk lamp for storing your supplies!

You can also try to stock up on cool glasses or baskets and containers. Stores like Marshall’s or TJ Maxx carry great desk storage that will easier keep your supplies in order. A creative way to keep your wires, chargers and cables in check, as shared by thecollegeprepster, is to run them through document clips that you clip to the edge of your desk. No more Ethernet cables all over the floor!

The most important tip to remember is that if you have a specific place for an item, return it to that place when you are finished. Don’t hang up hooks in your closet for all of your bags, but then just toss your longchamp on the floor when you get back from class. Dedication is key. Simply devote an hour or two of your free time to following these tips and congratulations collegiettes™, your life is now clutter free.

Photo Credit: thecollegeprepster.com

Have a Stress Free Semester: Get Organized!

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