Powered by Organization

You’re done with Finals! Congratulations. I’m willing to bet that there are some things that went really well for you, and perhaps some things that didn’t.

I invite you to do a little self-reflection…

How did the term go for you?
Did you meet your goals for academic success?
Did you meet your goals in other areas (i.e. health, wellness, etc.)?
What worked well for you?
What didn’t work so well for you?
What are some ways that you can learn from your mistakes? What are you looking to improve upon?

If organization is something you want to work on for next term, consider trying a system that was developed at Landmark College specifically for students with learning disabilities and ADD/ADHD.

Here’s how it works…

Prepare one notebook for each class. The reason why we don’t suggest using only one large three-ring binders for all of your classes is damage control. If you lose the binder for all your classes you’ll be in more trouble than if you only lose one binder for one class.

Set up your dividers with some standard categories:

Class notes
Assignments
Labs/Special Projects
Reading notes
Handouts
Graded Work (homework, essays, exams, lab reports, etc.)

If the above categories don’t make sense for the structure of your class, feel free to change them, but try and keep a consistent system that will be easy for you remember and stay organized.

More tips…

Label each binder with the class name, professor, date, and time, as well as contact information for you that is visible. This can help if you leave your binder somewhere.
Make sure that you print out your syllabus and include that in each class binder.
Create a system and stick to it! If you are constantly changing the way you organize your class materials, you’ll probably end up forgetting something, and you could be using the time you spend on organizing the way you organize on studying for your next exam.

For more tips on staying organized consider scheduling an appointment with an Academic Coach through DAS (541-737-4098) or the Academic Success Center (541-737-2272).