| FFA Nation

Eight ways to get yourself organized for the school year

Jessica Mozo | 08/30/2011 |

Gone are the lazy days of summer, when most students stay up late and sleep until noon. School is back in session, and there’s no better time to get organized.

You’ll find that organization benefits every area of your life, from home and school to your FFA involvement and community service.

Richard E. Bavaria, senior vice president for Education Outreach for Sylvan Learning in Baltimore, Md. weighs in with nine tips for overcoming summer brain drain:

1. Clean up your personal space.
“A dirty, cluttered room is not conducive to studying,” Bavaria says. “Get organized before homework starts piling up. Remove seldom-worn clothing. Pack away belongings not used on a regular basis.”

2. Carve out a homework spot.
It may be in your room, the basement or the family office.

“Find an area where you can work distraction-free, and claim it as your workspace,” Bavaria says. “Pick a place that is always available and where you feel comfortable doing schoolwork. Stock the area with supplies needed for homework.”

3. Organize by subject.
Use separate, labeled notebooks for each class. Invest in a filing cabinet and create file folders for each subject to hold assignments, essays, handouts and class notes.

4. Stay on schedule.
Post a calendar on your wall to plan for assignment due dates, sports practices and games, social events, and job hours.
“Minimize last-minute cramming or deadline mix-ups by creating a detailed schedule,” Bavaria says. “Include classes, assignments, project deadlines and test dates. Schedule times for studying, projects and extracurricular activities. The more thorough the schedule, the more helpful it will be.”

5. Know your school.
Find your classrooms during registration or some time before school begins. Meet your guidance counselor and teachers. Don’t show up nervous the first day of school because you don’t know where to go.

6. Set educational goals.
“Whether it is striving for an A in a certain subject, handing in all homework on time or preparing for tests well in advance, setting goals can help establish a routine for the new year,” Bavaria says. “Set goals that are measurable, specific, reasonable and have personal value.”

7. Plan for tomorrow.
Mornings should not be chaotic. The night before a school day, pick out your outfit, pack your backpack and prepare your lunch. That way all you need to do is get up, get dressed, eat a healthy breakfast and go.

8. Choose activities wisely.
Don’t spread yourself so thin among various extracurricular activities that you can’t do anything well. Choose one or two activities per year and give them your best. Remember to schedule time for schoolwork, practices, meetings, games and family obligations.