By Grace ’24
Life during quarantine has changed all our routines, and as we come up on the ten-month anniversary since our lives were flipped, we may want to ask ourselves how well we’ve been doing keeping up with our new normal. If you’re reading this and look around and see clustered piles of papers and pens scattered across your desk, you’re not alone, and this is where I can help.
Now listen, you may be thinking, I don’t need to be organized, I’m getting my work done and I find stuff when I need it. However, this is simply not true. Even if you are doing the bare minimum, finishing your homework studying once in a while, this is simply not your full potential. Especially if lately you’ve been feeling tired and unmotivated, simply organizing your workspace is a great place to start!
Dozens of studies from Ivy league schools such as Harvard and Stanford have proven that organization is the key to less stress, more productivity and better use of your time. Having your workspace clean and well-maintained essentially tricks your brain into boosting your efficiency. After all, we all know that we prefer to sleep in a clean room rather than a messy one. On top of this, having a mess strewn across your desk is one of the biggest procrastination makers, and can really be distracting by rendering you inefficient.
So now that you understand the importance of staying organized, how should you do it?
First of all, make sure you never have trash laying around, as that clutters up unnecessary space. Secondly, combine and place any left out papers or worksheets in their appropriate places, such as their binders, folders, desk drawers whatever you use. Next, arrange these binders and folders in a need to use basis, such as putting your next period’s materials on top of your stack. This will save you time between classes, and make grabbing your books less of a hassle. Then, find yourself at least three pens and pencils, so if a pen dies or your pencil lead breaks, life is not over. It’s also important in some classes to have a different colored pen for corrections. Lastly, make sure you have a light on your desk so that you can work with a spotlight directed to it, as this makes your writing and reading easier and clearer.
Now that your space is spick and span, you can go about your day, and continue the joyous pursuit of advancing your education!
