Guest Author - Melissa Weise

Some people think that school is something that people are either good at or not good at. Either they are born that way, or not. But this is just not the case. In fact, of all the students that struggle in school, many seem to have more problems with being organized than the actual schoolwork and of those who do well, many are really just very organized.

Doing well in school boils down to a few simple things: openness to learning, concentration, and organization. Some people want to say that doing well in school requires discipline, but I disagree. It really requires organization. If you are organized, discipline isn’t something you have to worry about as much. In fact, if you just take a few simple steps to be organized, school ends up feeling incredibly easier and takes less time.

Your backpack is your first line of defense in staying organized at school. Besides making sure that your backpack is not geeky, you also want to make sure that it is comfortable. Your backpack should have straps that are wide enough so that your shoulders and back don’t get hurt. Wider straps distribute the weight more evenly than thinner straps. If you use a rolling backpack, make sure that the handle is long enough so that you don’t have to bend your back and hurt it while you walk.

Inside your backpack, you want to make sure that two things are happening. First, that you have everything you need for school. This will be different for different school and different students. Second (and almost more importantly) that you know where everything is. One of the most difficult things for disorganized students is making sure that your homework gets in on time. So, make sure that in your backpack you have a place where your unfinished and finished homework goes. (Instead of getting crumpled up at the bottom or eaten by the dog). This can be color coordinated folders or a specific place in a trapper keeper. It can be useful to have one spot for each of your classes that is color coordinated with your notebooks so that you can find your stuff easily.

These same facts also apply to your locker if you have one. In addition, you want to make sure that you take home what you need to do your homework every night and don’t forget it in your locker. Lockers are convenient, but they can be hindrance if you don’t remember to transfer stuff into your backpack before leaving for the day.

TAKE NOTE: You will find if your backpack and your locker are set up nicely, the very small amount of time that you have to go between classes won’t be spent searching for crumpled papers but instead you may actually be able to do some socializing.

Something you will want to make sure you have for school is a planner. This is essential to know when your homework and projects are due. For more information on this, check out my article “How to Organize Your Schedule”.