Do you often lose assignments? Does a messy locker add to your stress at school? Organization is the key to success.  Here are some of the best ways to stay organized for school to make the 2016-2017 school year the best yet.

Use a planner:

Planners are very helpful for high school students because they are a great place to keep any kind of reminder–whether it be homework, jobs, extracurriculars, or weekend plans. Keeping a planner organized itself is also an issue for many. To keep your planner organized, keep spare papers in folders instead of the planner. Some people prefer to color code their notes in their planner, but others feel more organized if everything is neatly written in one color. Either way, maintaining a planner is very useful for many busy high school students. Marilyn Waterloo, print shop coordinator, says the school planners are still available in the AV room for $1 each. She added, “[Planners] are a good idea so you can keep track of your assignments and when they are due.”

Set alarms/reminders:

The best way to stay organized with activities is to set alarms. Often times, it is helpful to set an alarm for when you should stop your current activity, prepare to leave, and then leave for the next activity. Megan Maloney, senior, says “I set a lot of reminders about what I need to bring to certain events in order to be prepared.” Silent alarms can be found on mobile device stores and may be set to go off in reminder of events during the school day if necessary.

Keep a tidy locker/backpack:

Having an organized locker or backpack can make a difference in the amount of stress related to school and having assignments ready to turn in. In order to keep your locker clean, consider using a storage container to hold extra items and emptying trash on a regular basis. This can save you time to chat with friends in between classes if your materials are tidy. Organizing a backpack can be difficult, but it’s best to keep papers in folders and get rid of excess items. Having clean spaces for school can help ease your mind of unneeded stresses.

Make checklists:

In order to ensure things get done on time, making checklists can be very helpful.The key to an organized checklist is putting things in the order you want them to be completed. Checklists can be made on many mobile devices, or if prefered, on paper or the margins of a planner.

Plan ahead:

Many people plan their outfits the night before to prepare for an easy morning when they wake up. There are many ways in which you can prepare ahead for your school day. Some include packing a backpack at night, planning lunch for the next day, and thinking about what may be needed for the extracurriculars after your school day ends. Maloney states, “As someone who loses things pretty often, I take lots of measures to try not to forget anything. I make sure to pack my backpack every night.”