We all have our own organizational styles when it comes to a new semester of school. Busy schedules, stressful classes and life in general can all pile up and being organized can levitate some of the pressure. It may seem kind of anal but knowing what, when, where, and how is key to college life. I’m here to share ways that I stay organized while I’m on and off campus. Some of you may not agree with it, or particularly like it, but I hope for the most part you all take something away from it.
Desk:
My desk is brand new. I actually bought it from Walmart for forty-five dollars and put it together the weekend before school began. I made sure that everything was set up for the beginning of school so I could start fresh and be ready to go. I have a lamp that holds artistic pens, sharpies, pencils, highlighters, and pens. I have a calendar that lies on the desk that serves as my social calendar (my shows, parties, plans, deadlines, birthdays, etc.).
In the drawer, as you can see I keep loose supplies that I don’t want showcased on the surface. In the cubby holes I keep textbooks, folders, and my class binders, and other things that do not fit in the drawer nicely. Also, I usually leave my binders at home on the days that I attend class (I’m a commuter). I do that so I don’t have to lug around a heavy backpack all day, especially in this heat!
Binders:
As pictured, I have a binder for each class. I found these Lilly Pulitzer printable binder covers on Pinterest where you’re able to customize them yourself. This is something that I did just to make my belongings more appealing, I mean at the end of the day it’s school work, so you’ve got to find some way to funk it up a bit, right? Also, inside each of them I have the class syllabus I can refer to quickly without having to log on to Canvas.
You can find these binder covers here!
Pencil Pouch:
My Pencil pouch is also Lilly Pulitzer and I ordered it off of Amazon. It was much cheaper ordering it online than buying it in any store that carries Lilly products. It holds my mechanical pencil that I use for tests or quizzes. Along with lead, a big eraser, highlighters, pens, whiteout, a flashdrive, and my Macbook charger converter. This helps me stay organized because all of my small supplies are together in one place and not just rolling around in my bag with the potential to get lost.
Emergency Kit:
My emergency kit includes Q-tips and floss sticks, Band-aids, Aleve and Benadryl, Neosporin, Eos, a mini mirror, bobby pins, a nail file, and those “time of the month” products. I don’t use everything all of the time, but it’s nice to have on the go. Especially, if you’re a commuter, like myself.
Spiral Notebooks:
Five Star is the way to go. They have 1-subject, 3-subject, and 5-subject notebooks. Mine are color coordinated and are complementary to my binder cover colors. This helps me know where my notes are for each class. Also, they have a pocket to store papers, and the pages are easy to rip out. Again, none of this is necessary to do well in school but it helps me focus and know where everything is.
Planner:
I bought my planner from Target. Personally, I prefer the bigger sized planners so that I have enough room to write things down. It comes with a slip to where you can put your own front cover in it. And I use a clip to mark the week I’m on so I don’t have to flip through the pages each time.
Backpack:
I bought my backpack from The North Face website. It wasn’t cheap, but I know these backpacks are built to last. Quality over quantity, any day. It’s a Borealis style, and has orange and teal accents. I thought this backpack would do the trick because of its many pockets, and laptop slip. There is even a pocket that fits my iPad mini perfectly. It also has a small front pocket where I store my iclicker 2, car keys, and sometimes phone.
I decided I wanted to make it more personal so I got it monogrammed at my local embroidery store in Lakeland, but these places are everywhere. Monogramming is cheap, simple and really cute! My 3-inch monogram cost below ten dollars and it accents the backpack nicely.
Photos:
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