Staying Organized in College 101

Midterms, fall break and Halloweekend, added to the endless stream of essays, meetings and mixers can obviously lead to rushed routines and messy living spaces. Nothing about an unorganized space shouts wellness and relaxation. It just isn’t possible. So how do we at The Edge find that balance between a rewardingly full schedule and an almost picture-perfect retreat? 

It’s not as daunting as it may seem. Instead of viewing your space as one giant abyss of a room, split it into distinctive sections. This will allow you to clean and organize each section on a pre-determined rotation and take it piece by piece. In a standard dorm room, you may have your bed and nightstand as your “bedroom,” your desk as your “office,” and mini-fridge and food storage as your “kitchen.” Not only does this make the space feel a bit larger, but it will also help keep it clean and organized. No food should be stored around your bed in the same way that you wouldn’t want to store your laundry anywhere near where late-night snacks will be prepared. In each section, keep the respective cleaning products within close proximity so that you can clean efficiently when it is time. 

If you live in a suite-style dorm or apartment this is exponentially easier as you physically have separate rooms for sleeping and dining. In this case, one way to stay extra organized is to store food in clear containers and bins both in the refrigerator and in the pantry. Not only is this aesthetically pleasing but is helpful for saving space and sharing with roommates. Communicate with your roommate to avoid double purchasing products or accumulating clutter. 

In addition to communicating, be sure to write everything down. Sure, Moodle and other online applications are great but nothing is better than a physical calendar where you can see everything you must do in a day, a week or even a month right in front of you. Plus, with a handwritten calendar, you can indulge in the satisfying stroke of crossing off list items and assignment due dates when accomplished. Not only should you put academic and social events on this calendar but also plan out your household obligations so that you never fall behind and become trapped in a  mountain of chores. Perhaps Sunday is laundry day and Tuesday is a bathroom deep-clean day. Whatever the tasks for each day are, try your best to stick to them and you will see great results. 

Staying on top of your tasks will ensure that your space is always clean and welcoming so that when things do get busier you can retreat to your living space fully able to concentrate on what needs to be done and relax. 

P.S. If you want to be extra kind to yourself, before going out in the evenings, lay out a fresh pair of pajamas, a bottle of water and a facial wipe so that when you return you can easily get ready for bed without waking up the next morning with last night’s makeup and regret. #nosundayscaries at The Edge!