A new school year means time to start over. Did you find yourself frazzled last year losing papers and forgetting deadlines? Follow these tips to stay organized this school year.

• Use your planner– Whether you purchased one from the school, or bought one at staples, your planner is one of the most important assets to remaining organized. Make using it fun–purchase colored pens and write each class in a different color. Use post-its to remind yourself of major deadlines. Lastly, highlight assignments that have an extended due date; this will enable you to focus on immediate priorities.
• Have a separate binder for each class– Most teachers require you to keep a separate binder for their class. Putting more than one class in the same binder makes you twice as likely to lose papers, and if you forget the binder at home, you now are not prepared for two classes. In each binder, make sure you have at least 4 tabs (labeled: “handouts” “homework” “tests/quizzes” “papers to save”), as well as plenty of filler paper with notes.
• Invest in good quality supplies-Even though plastic notebook covers and folders may be more expensive at the beginning of the year, they are less likely to rip or tear as opposed to paper-covered folders and notebooks. It will be easier on you to carry around fresh supplies than have to carry around a notebook without a cover. It will make you more confident to know that your supplies are neat and intact.
• Write essays in PARTS– I know what you’re thinking–Every essay you’ve ever written you’ve done the night before its due. Well, this year, why not utilize the one week of time you get to write that US 2 paper. The easiest way to start is to do the intro and conclusion last. Right your body paragraphs first in case you need to adjust your argument later. Also make sure you are not including too much extra information–longer is not always better. After you finish your body paragraphs, your intro and conclusion will come naturally.

Take these simple tips and make this school year your most successful one yet!