What is considered, “staying organized”? Within the month we’ve started school online, everything has flipped upside down and many people’s concepts of organization have drastically changed.  Because we’ve never done this before, one can think it will be very hard to adjust. As we all know, a majority of us have practices for sports, instrument classes, hobbies, schoolwork, that is all very hard to keep track of . And because our grades impact our overall GPA, this can be very stressful. Organization is important because you can increase your productivity. So, what is considered “staying organized”? 

Our own system

In order to stay on task and systematic during this time, finding your own methodical way is very important. Scheduling time for every class and staying ahead of schedule is one. While it may be tempting to wait until the last minute and do an assignment on the day before it’s due, we should try to have things completed earlier to allow for more flexibility. Ideally, try to have assignments finished a couple days before the deadline. This will reduce stress knowing that if something comes up, your work is already finished. 

Take notes on the assignments

Writing down all of your homework and assignments and due dates are very helpful too. Oakton student Tara Lauber (9) says, “it’s important to write down homework because if you don’t, you won’t know what to do and it will cause you to not finish your homework and eventually lose points in your grade”. A list of assignments with the due dates next to them ensures that  you turn everything in on time; being able to physically mark off the things you have completed is a way to know that you have completed the assignment because it is in front of you.

Time management

When we think of time management what always comes to mind is school, but, that isn’t the case on every occasion. Should we concentrate on school work 24/7? Of course not; what that will result in is, lower levels of productivity and less focus. School is only on weekdays for many students, so that leaves the whole weekend open. Planning hangouts with your friends can get your mind off of everything going on in your mind. Therefore, this will increase the level of productivity, increase effectiveness, and efficiency. 

Keep a focused environment

Creating a dedicated workspace is also important for staying organized and can help your mind focus whenever you sit down to work. This space should be quiet and free of distractions, especially phones; when there are phones in a workspace we tend to get distracted and start to drift away from staying focused. All in all, organization is a huge part of our academic lives ; and if you’re looking for organization tips, this is the guide to it.