One solid tip for organizing papers & homework

Hey, this is Seth with sethperler.com. Hope you’re having a great day.

I’m here to give you one of my favorite organizational tips for the disorganized student.

As you know, all I do is work with students who struggle in school in some way or another. The students I work with have issues with time management, organization, and other things. I’m going to give you one of my favorite tips for organization that I use over and over and over again — probably with 90% of my students.

If they don’t want to use it, no problem. I don’t care. I just want them to have something that works for them, and this is something that works really well.

Let me tell you what this is.

This is an organizational system to keep track of important papers. Obviously, if you’re watching this and you’re a student who struggles with organization in some way, it’s probably true that three-ring binders are not your favorite. And if you do use them, you probably don’t use them the way they’re intended to be used — which is totally fine. You don’t need to use them. There are better ways for you to manage paperwork.

This is a way to keep track of the things that would normally get jammed in the bottom of your backpack or shoved in your locker. A lot of times I work with students, and we go through backpacks, lockers, or folders, and the student will say, “Oh, that’s where that is — I was looking for that.” Often, it’s a paper that is already very late, and sometimes it’s even homework that was completed but never turned in, resulting in a zero even though the student did the work.

We want to avoid that at all costs.

For this system, you’ll need a folder. I prefer cheap paper folders. That’s actually what I like most. I don’t like shiny folders very much because Sharpies don’t always stick well to them. I prefer a simple folder, and for this system I like it to be a bright color — red is a great choice because it’s an alert color.

You’ll also need Sharpies, sticky notes, and paper — meaning homework assignments or anything important you need to keep track of.

This is what I call “the queue.”

The reason I call it that is because it’s similar to what people call a homework folder, but I think “queue” better describes what it is. A queue, like on Netflix, is a list of things that are currently active. If you call a customer service line and are put on hold, you’re in a queue. If you go to Europe and stand in line for coffee, you’re in a queue.

So to me, the queue is anything alive, active, or important right now.

What’s great about this system is that you don’t need separate folders for each subject. You don’t need a math folder, science folder, literature folder, and so on. You keep everything in one centralized place. Everything important goes into the queue.

This can include permission slips, checks that need to be dropped off, homework that needs to be done, or homework that is already done and needs to be turned in. Anything active, current, or important goes in the queue.

Inside the queue, I don’t worry about labels like “to do” or “done.” That overcomplicates things. All you need to do is make sure everything important goes into the folder.

This folder is one of the most important things you can carry with you every day. If you have this and a planner at minimum, you’re going to be okay.

So, see if this system works for you.

I usually have students set it up and label the folder with a large Sharpie. I like using bold markers. You can write “Q” on the front if you want — it’s optional, but helpful.

I also recommend putting your name on the front and back of the folder. If it gets lost, it’s more likely to be returned because people associate a name with a person.

On the inside of the folder, I keep sticky notes for what I call “flagging.”

Now, here’s how we use it.

You take your papers and place them into the queue. For example, a math assignment that still needs to be done, a science paper that is completed and needs to be turned in, and “book money” that needs to be paid.

These sticky notes act like flags. They stick out so you can easily see them.

I make them stick out quite high so they are visible even when the folder is inside your backpack. You don’t even need to remove the folder to see what’s inside. You can slide the papers out directly.

For example, if you’re in science class and the teacher asks for homework, you just pull out the flagged paper and turn it in. Simple systems work better for students who struggle with organization.

When you get the work back, it does not go back into the queue because it has already been graded and returned.

At that point, you have three options:

• Throw it away (preferred if you don’t need it)

• Put it in a subject folder if you genuinely need it

• Store it in an “archive box” at home for things you might need later but are not sure about

If you need the paper later for studying, you can temporarily put it back in the queue or keep it in your folder until the unit is finished.

That’s the system.

If you like this, please share it with others. You can pass it along on social media or to someone who might benefit from it.

I appreciate you. I hope you have an awesome evening.

Take care. Bye-bye.