Staying Organized in School

Starting school means many things: waking up early again, hoping to get that Pre-Calc teacher everyone wants and organizing your materials for the upcoming year. Going into Freshman year, I thought I could figure things out as I went, not having a planner or any sort of organization system. But of course, I was completely wrong. However, I have learned from my mistakes and made a list of ways to stay organized in school.

1. Get a planner app.

After months of trial and error, I have made a list of three of the best planner apps to keep track of your homework with.

• P.Schedule: Free

My personal favorite is P.Schedule. This app is not only great for holding your schedule and keeping track of your homework with but has a bright, minimal feel. P.Schedule is available on iPhone and iPad.

• Grade Hound: Free

While similar to P.Schedule, Grade Hound is great if you want to keep track of your grades. This app will manage your classes, keep track of assignments and help you manage your grades, telling you what scores you need to get your target grade in a class. Grade Hound is available on iPhone and iPad.

• The Homework App: Free

The Homework App allows students to color code subjects, attach photos to assignments, view a calendar of their work, get reminders to alert them when work is due, and get help with homework. This app is available on iPhone and iPad.

In addition to an online planner, I recommend asking your teacher if there is an online version of your textbooks or other novels you can use. This will offer more features (such as audio options and page search) and lighten your backpack.

2. Color code classes.

Assigning a color to each of your classes makes it easier to identify every subject. Personally, I assign:

• Red: Math
• Yellow: History
• Green: Science
• Blue: English

I made a simple color-coded binder cover for each class, Click Here for the free PDF printable.

These templates work best in a binder per class system, in which you would have a single binder (I recommend 1/2 inch to 1 inch) per class that you could keep in your locker. This also minimizes the weight of your backpack, since only a small binder for homework will be in it.

Another binder plan is a single binder (I recommend 1 inch to 2 inches) for most of your classes that you can keep in your backpack. This plan is good if you can not go to your locker in between each class, however it does make your backpack heavier.

I also recommend using this colors in your planner and for notebooks.

3. Purchase a good pencil case.

It is important to store all of your supplies in a case, and these two I selected from Amazon are not just stylish, but provide maximum storage and compactness to keep your backpack light.

• Homecube $9.98

Homecube pencil case has many compartments while maintaining a lightweight feel. I have used my homecube case for three years now, and it has never failed to serve its purpose.

• Sunstar $14.95

Sunstar pencil cases provide a unique twist on a common pencil case, with the easy pull-down/pull-up feature great for teachers who love to teach right up to, and even after the bell rings. This case comes in many colors and can hold many (up to about 35!) pens/pencils.

4. Purchase supplies that reflect your style.

One of the hardest parts of organization is STAYING organized, and in order to achieve that, it is important to want to stay organized. Red Bubble is a great website to find notebooks, laptop sleeves, and other school supplies that reflect your style, with designs from minimalistic chic to cat meme everything. Showing off your style is a great way to get motivated when it comes to staying organized.