Back to School: Staying Organized for Studying

One of the things many students struggle with when going off to college for the first time is that study habits may need to change. Students will need to be more organized and better manage their study habits in order to stay on top of an increased work load.

For college students, there are actually two areas where they will need to be organized: by organizing their personal space in order to find things when they need them and also organizing study habits and notes in order to be most efficient.

Organizing the Room

While it may seem that part of maintaining an organized room is making sure the room is neat and tidy, the reality is that a room doesn’t have to be clean in order to be organized. The idea is that you are able to locate everything you need quickly and easily. Organize your room so that there are places for all of your school materials. Store class materials and notes by class so that everything for each class is in one place.

Display time management planners and calendars in easy-to-see locations and keep study aids like dictionaries and guides close by. Keep all your school supplies organized in one place on or inside your desk. Some school supplies you may need include: pens, pencils, highlighters, stapler and calculator.

Study Habits

Color coding is a great way to organize notes and reading material. When reviewing notes, assign a highlighter color to each major topic and then highlight all the information relating to that topic. Use color labels and post it tabs to mark books and notebooks. When studying for exams, use different colors of ink for different topics on flash cards to help your brain better associate the information by topic.

Are you headed off to college in a few weeks? What organizational habits do you have to keep you on top of your studies?