Organization Check!

Happy New Year!

At the start of a new calendar year, people often make resolutions about changing and improving, so although it's not necessary to change anything, it is a great time to take a close look at your habits and systems, to see which are serving you well and which could use a little revamping.

You have a solid four months of school under your belt, and so you should have a lot figured out about how to be successful in your classes.

If, however, you've had some difficulty completing homework, remembering necessary materials for class, or even seem to be lacking free time, it may be wise to look at how you're organizing your materials and using your time.

Some things to consider:

1. What kind of system do you have for recording homework? 

Is it working well?
If not, what seems to be the problem? Is there a system that could work better?
If it is, and you're not missing or forgetting homework and you're successfully preparing for assessments, then keep on doing what you're doing.
Having an efficient, thorough way to record and track what you need to do is the first essential step to managing your time.

2. Are you able to find what you need, when you need it?

This includes your personal belongings and all of the materials you need for school (including what's on your laptop). Can you easily find what you have saved on your laptop or in Google Drive? Do you know exactly where to go in a binder or in your locker or backpack to find something specific? If you
can't find what you need, or if it's taking longer than you'd like, try to develop a system for what goes where. A friend, family member, or adult at school will likely have some suggestions about how you might do this, based on what works for them.

3. How much free time do you have?

Do you seem to have enough time to spend on the things you enjoy? Are you getting enough sleep? Do you feel rushed from one activity to another each day? If you feel you don't have enough time to do what you'd like, take a good look at how you're using the time you do have.

For example, during school, how are you using your free periods and study halls? Are you using them to chat with friends, or to get work done? Are you enjoying your electives, or do you think one period would be better spent in a study hall? Is your bus ride to school in the morning the best place to try to catch a few more minutes of sleep, or could that be used to do some Membean training? Where might you be able to find a few extra minutes here and there to devote to what you enjoy? Maybe your bus ride can be the time to check Instagram and go on Snapchat, but the time period between school sports and your hockey practice is when you should get some KBAR reading done...

Make a schedule of how to use your time, and stick to it. Then, assess how it went and what might need to be tweaked. Routines can save us time and energy, but they should be routines that are effective for our purposes.

Oftentimes, getting organized with materials and routines can save you time and effort, even if it takes small investment of time up front.