This document provides tips for college students to stay organized. It recommends that students use colored folders or binders to organize class materials, a calendar or planner to schedule assignments and events, and to pack their backpack the night before class. Setting up an organized study area at home with supplies labeled and stored is also suggested. The document stresses developing a schedule and time management plan that includes time for studying in blocks with breaks, planning assignments in advance, and seeking help from counseling services when needed. Technology tools like calendars, apps and cloud storage are also presented as aids for organization.

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Presented by the LLCC Learning Lab
www.llcc.edu/learnlab
217.786.2396

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Being organized is a quality of a successful student
Being organized will make college life less stressful for you
Being organized means more study time and personal time
More study time may lead to better grades and greater college success

3. * Backpack
* Study area
* Time
* Technology
*

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5.  Colored folder or binder with tab dividers for
each class (keep your class syllabus here!)
 Notebook or loose leaf paper for each class
 Pens, pencils, highlighters
 3X5 cards
 Textbooks
 Calendar or academic planner
 3-hole punch
 USB drive
 Post-it notes
 Class schedule (will be needed to obtain your
student ID from the library)
 Student ID Card
 Personal items (lip balm, Kleenex, etc.)
 Lunch or snacks
 Pack your bag the night before classes
 Some students have 2 backpacks – one for classes
which meet on only on MWF and another
backpack for classes which meet on TTR

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7.  Use ONE calendar – monthly,
academic year, annual, chalkboard,
whiteboard, paper or electronic (find
a system that works for you!)
 For small items, use a spice racks or
ice cube trays to hold paper clips,
thumbtacks, rubber bands, etc.
 Use clipboards attached to the wall
for reminders, to-do lists, reminders,
necessary tasks vs. “can wait” tasks
Clean, empty food cans for pens,
pencils, highlighters
 Desk lamp
 File folder box or dish drying racks
for organizing papers for long-term
storage
 Smaller white boards for reminders
 Pegboards for hanging items
 Bookshelves made out of crates,
held together with binder clips
Drawer dividers for desk
 Attach baskets to peg boards for
storage
 Set up trash cans and recycle bins to
help keep your area clutter free
 Establish a spot for your phone,
iPod, etc. if you find them distracting
you.
 Pinterest has many more ideas, with
pictures!

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9.  Put due dates and deadlines from your course syllabus on your calendar.
 Check your calendar each night for tomorrow’s deadlines, meetings, events.
 Get everything ready the night before your class – your
clothes, lunch, snacks, backpack, electronics, etc. Put these things near the
door.
 “Build in” 15 minutes of buffer time – get up 15 minutes earlier, leave 15
minutes earlier, etc. You will never feel rushed and you will likely be early to
your classes and appointments.
 Set limits each day on how much time you will spend on social networking
sites, email, Pinterest, certain projects, papers, assignments, etc.
 Plan ahead – break larger projects into smaller, manageable chunks.
 Try to combine some activities – can you write a paper rough draft while taking
public transportation to class?
 Record all appointments – either on your paper calendar, on your phone, or both!
 Take time to do quality work the first time, to avoid having to redo tasks.
 Set aside specific time for studying, for social gatherings, grooming, etc.
 Study in blocks of 45-50 minutes, then take 10-15 minute breaks between
study sessions. Remove any distractions and distractions and focus.
 Summarize your toughest subject 30 minutes before bedtime.
Your brain will consolidate, process and start moving the
information into your long term memory while you sleep.
 Say no to non-essential tasks and delegate when possible.
 Create a daily plan, possibly hour-by-hour.
 Seek help from a professional counselor for additional time
management tips.

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11.  Set automatic reminders and notices 
for yourself – using Outlook reminders,
sending your self emails for future

delivery, or setting alarms on your
phone
 If you have a family, try using a

calendar that allows everyone access,
such as Google Calendar
 Keep all of your contacts in your phone
– school, family, friends, doctors, etc. 
 Use apps to help you organize –
Evernote, Noredink, DropBox,

iprocrastinate, Studious, Trello,
Myhomework, Google Applications,

MindMeister
 Make a folder on your desktop for each
of your classes
 Create infographics to help you
organize information into a visual
format
 Use mint.com to help you organize
your finances
 Track your work and time spent doing
tasks on a spreadsheet
Use LinkedIn to manage your business
networking contacts
Use web-based conferencing or free
Internet calling such as Skype to meet
in person
Use technology to make lists – a
grocery list, a to-do list, a gift list etc.
Update these frequently in order to
make them effective
Create a folder for each of your classes
on your desktop
Scan paper documents into searchable
PDF’s. (NeatDesk will do this)
When saving documents, use a very
detailed file name

12. The first week of classes is coming soon!
Before classes begin, do a practice run of your schedule – How long will
it take you to get to campus? Do you know where your classrooms and
lab rooms are located?
Introduce yourself to your instructor during his or her office hours
Print the syllabus for each class
Find your instructor phone numbers on the syllabus and save them into
your phone
Set a grade goal for each class and post it where you will see it often!
(Goals motivate and help you prioritize your time and efforts)
Find three places to study: 1 at home, 1 at LLCC, and 1 in another
location (e.g. Panera)
Locate the LLCC Learning Lab and ask about the FREE academic support
services offered
Organize your study area at home
Ask for three students’ names, phone numbers and emails – just in case
you miss class, you will have someone you can contact

13. Resources:
http://www.cob.sjsu.edu/nellen_a/time_management.htm
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/time-management/wl00048
http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifehack/20-quick-tips-for-better-timemanagement.html
http://organizedhome.com/time-money/paper-chase-abc-household-papermanagement
http://www.going-to-college.org/campuslife/technology2_transcript.html
http://www.buzzfeed.com/alannaokun/30-easy-ways-to-organize-yourworkspace
http://www.gettingorganizedmagazine.com/2012/12/03/12-things-to-simplifyyour-workday/
http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs049/1101860854247/archive/110981056
5975.html#LETTER.BLOCK20