Living organized

Class is in five minutes and the notebook for tonight's lecture is nowhere to be found. Now what? Skipping may be tempting, but it will only lead to a lower grade at the end of the semester.

The stress of being disorganized only makes life more difficult. For Elizabeth Koeth, a junior nursing major who has to be in a different place everyday between classes, work and internships, being unorganized only slows her down.

"I try to keep my books in one place, but they end up all over the house," Koeth said.

Richard Lipnick, a graduate student in history, describes his organizational system as "a controlled mess." If somebody were to move an item in his room, he'd never be able to find it.

Lipnick is conducting independent research this semester. Being organized is critical to ensure he has the self-motivation to complete his work, and something he admits he could improve on.

Sound familiar? Follow The Spectrum's step-by-step guide to academic success in 2007.

Purchase a planner. Purchasing a planner that works with your schedule will eliminate wasted, unproductive time. Those with time slots that break the day down into one hour, half hour or 15 minute increments may be best.

Keep papers for each class in separate folders. Mary Rosner, a junior speech and hearing major, keeps a separate binder for each of her classes, each with its own label. She then designates a colored highlighter to each class, using it for her notes, textbook and planner. The label always matches the highlighter.

"I've learned it keeps me organized," Rosner said. "People make fun of me. They say I have OCD."

Her desk is also a picture of perfection. Pens belong in a mug. Her lined paper rests in a folder next to the computer paper. Her books are stacked next to the desk along with the binder. Disks, blank CDs and other desk items are kept together in a plastic crate nearby.

Rosner said it is easy to stay this organized as long as she takes a few minutes each day to keep on top of things. This includes punching holes into loose papers and adding them to her binders.

Lipnick is also a fan of preventive maintenance.

"When you're researching, don't collect a library," he said. "It's probably the worst thing you can do. It can easily get out of control."

Carly Parish, a senior social sciences major, also color coordinates her folders for each class, so that they are easy to grab at the last minute. As a commuter, she has also adopted the habit of keeping all of her school materials in the backseat of her car so that they are always with her.

Back up your work. Whether you use a floppy disk, CD or flash drive backing up your work is imperative, Lipnick said. He goes so far as to make sure he has paper copies of all his research notes in their original notebook.

First things first. Ashley Kramer, a freshman pre-pharmacy major, carries a course load filled with intense science and math courses. When studying, she advises that students get easy subjects out of the way first.

"I know that those won't take up all my time and I can leave more time to fuss with the hard stuff," she said.

As a bonus, completing some of the work makes one feel accomplished, which is motivation to continue studying.

The wardrobe. Keeping one's things organized is just as important as keeping schoolwork organized. In the end, less time will be spent searching for lost items or something to wear.

In Kramer's closet, her clothes are generally organized by type. Her sweatshirts, sweaters, jeans, pants and jackets are each stored together. A plastic cube organizer hangs from her closet pole for additional storage for clothes. There is also a bag for makeup, and she keeps only the hair products and accessories that she uses.

Rosner also separates all of her items. Belts are hung on a wooden hanger on the back of her door and shoes are kept under her bed. A jewelry case keeps her accessories organized and hidden. She keeps mental notes of outfits that can easily be thrown together, which helps save time in the morning.

Junior geography major Alan Brown lives off campus with friends. While school is in session, he brings only the clothes he wears on a regular basis, and leaves those items he has outgrown or become bored with at home.

To create more space in her closet, Parish always stores her summer clothes in the attic during the winter months.

Important papers. Old shoeboxes line the bottom of Parish's closet. One is filled with receipts of expensive purchases, another with pay stubs. A drawer next to her nightstand is filled with papers that have to do with tuition or loans, so that she can quickly reference them at a moment's notice.

Brown has been dubbed the house manager by his friends, and is in charge of taking care of all the bills and collecting rent. He makes bill paying easy by sending out four separate checks, one from each roommate. All other bills and receipts are kept in a large manila envelope.

The key is making sure important documents are easily accessible, and crumb free.

Miscellaneous items. Under Parish's bed are plastic storage units, one for all her art supplies and another for her sewing supplies. There is also a separate caboodles container for nail polish.

A small storage rack a foot wide rests in her closet, where she keeps all of her CDs, DVDs, lotions and books out of sight.

"It reduces clutter on my dress," she said.

Brown and his roommates keep non-perishable food items and mini refrigerators in their separate rooms, away from their communal kitchen where they are quickly gobbled up.

"It's not necessarily maintenance, but constantly reminding yourself to put things where they belong," Parish said. "Its easier to do it right away so it will always be there when I go back for it."