High school can be a time in our lives where disorganization feels like it can take over our lives. From messy lockers to binders with papers spilling out and overstuffed backpacks that look more like trash bins, disorganization can make our lives feel impossible.

Most high schoolers, it seems, could use some organization in their lives.

Now it’s time for you to figure out how.

Read these five tips for a little bit of help and hopefully your backpacks will start looking less like a trash can and more like a home for your schoolbooks and assignments.

Color Coding

One way to stay organized at North is color-coding. When getting ready for class it may be helpful to coordinate the colors of your notebooks, folders, and binders to correlate with certain classes. For example, use blue folders and notebooks for math and red for science. Using colored highlighters can also help students stay organized and take clearer and more concise notes in class. Color-coding is helpful, fun, and aesthetically pleasing.

Lockers and Folders: Storing Your Stuff

Using a locker can also be helpful for storing unneeded supplies for the day and keeping all your books in one place. Using a locker can be great for storing an extra sweatshirt for a cooler day and holding anything you don’t want to carry around all day with you. A locker also can reduce the probability of losing things, and give you a lighter backpack.

As you probably know, backpacks can quickly get out of control.

“Shoving everything in my backpack can create quite a mess,” junior Drew Passwaiter said.

Another necessity for organized storage is an efficient use of folders. Using one folder for all your homework can help prevent losing important papers in your notes or textbooks. Storing your things can be tricky and it’s important to find what’s right for you.

Using a Planner

Using a planner can help keep you organized by making prioritizing assignments easy. Not having a school distributed agenda this year has definitely made a difference for some people when it comes to listing assignments and due dates. By using an agenda you can set goals for each day and write down what’s due for homework and test in each class. Planners help students to feel more confident in knowing what’s due when.

Computers

The laptops that the school provides us with are a great tool to use for staying organized. Using OneNote to take notes during class and do homework eliminates a future paper mess and if utilized correctly, is a great organizational tool.

Math teacher Tom Holicky used to struggle with disorganization.

“I believe my biggest problem with disorganization is the paper mess,” math teacher Tom Holicky said.

But now he uses Canvas to stay organized and doesn’t have the paper mess to deal with.

Google docs is also a great tool to use for working in class. Canvas has helped make remembering homework assignments easier to remember with their friendly reminders found on the dashboard.

Motivation

If you are motivated, it can also be easier to tackle the mess in your life. Feeling motivated to do something helps put a positive outlook on things.

“By being motivated, it can inspire you to strive to do your best,” junior Tori Bex said.

Otherwise, when the going gets tough, you might get sloppy. Using a motivated quote as a background can boost your spirits and get you motivated to get through the day by staying strong.