Saturday, August 4, 2012

Organisation Tips! - Back to school!

Who else has just started / is about to start Spring semester?
My uni started back on the 23rd July, but I know some Sydney unis are only just going back. 

Today I wanted to talk about organisation! University is SO different from high school - even if you had a fail-proof organisation method for high school that doesn't mean it will necessarily transfer over smoothly. I mean, you have lectures, tutorials, seminars, pracs, a multitude of assignments and quite a few heavy textbooks to carry around. 

I'm currently in my third year, and it's honestly taken me about this long to work out a system that works for me. Throughout high school I relied on binders and loose leaf paper. They allowed me the flexibility to change things around that books don't. When getting to uni though I realised that binders can be too heavy - and I didn't like carrying around more than I had to for that day.

So today, this is what's in my aresenal backpack:

That's right! Display folders!

Display folders are incredibly versatile, lightweight and if you colour-code them to your subjects you will very quickly begin to associate "pink for politics" for example. This means that if you're running late you can pick up the right folder quickly and won't have to worry about getting to class to find you've got the wrong one. 


Labelling is always useful when organising. I used my Dymo label writer to print these out. 



Always make sure you have your subject outline with you. This contains important information as to assignment dates, teacher details and general protocol. 
At the beginning of each semester, you should read it and mark all the important dates in your diary:


Not only does this mean things are not forgotten, but it also helps you to see what weeks are going to be your busiest and let you plan accordingly. 

As for writing down things in class? That's entirely up to you. 
Personally, I always carry a larger notebook with me to jot things down. That way I can rip out the perforated pages and slip them into my display folder easily. This saves me having to carry around one book for every subject and keeps everything in order. 

For my language subject, I also carry a smaller notebook in my display folder:



It is in here that I write new words that we learn that aren't part of our "textbook vocabulary" and write down important grammar points. 

But I also like to bring my laptop some days. I use Microsoft OneNote to record my notes in class and lectures. Then I can print them out and slip them right into my display folder in the corresponding week. Which is also why display folders work better than binders - lecture slides and class handouts can easily and quickly be filed away without having to worry about having a hole punch on you. 

And if you're like me and bind your notes for your end of semester exams, then you can easily just pull them out and take them to be bound - no need to worry about re-printing anything because of creases / holes. 

How do you organise your uni work? Do you use folders or books? Or are you "paper-free" and have everything on your computer?

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