Posts Tagged ‘back to school’

Back to school organizing tips Back to school organizing tips for dorms and apartments need to focus on 2 primary goals. First, the space must be comfortable as well as attractive. Second, students must address how their belongings are organized in the space that is available. Bringing too many items into a small living space creates clutter and a sense of feeling crowded or overwhelmed. Organizing tips | Comfort and Decor Back to school organizing tips for students who live in smaller spaces such as dorms or apartments want to be able to personalize the space, contain their items and enjoy as much spaciousness as possible. Organizing tips that help maximize space: Furniture with built in storage – ottomans and benches with storage can hold many different types of items such as extra blankets, bulky jackets Use vertical space – use space behind doors, on the walls to hang functional as well as decorative items Use hidden spaces – under the bed, corner shelves, cubby shelving Use lighting, reflective surfaces – table lamps, mirrors Keep walls white or a light color to create a larger appearance Avoid area rugs – they’re trip hazards, draw the eye into the center of the room, make other items hard to move and slide Organizing tips | Efficiency and Organization Most organizing tips begin with the same 2 pieces of advice. Remember that less is more and less stuff means less clutter. Organizing tips that reduce clutter: Keep floors and horizontal surfaces as clear of items as possible. Store items near to where they are used. Surplus items should be purchased in smaller sizes and amounts. Empty the trash cans on a daily basis. Contain smaller items in bins and baskets that stack easily and safely.   Organizing Resources You can hire a Personal… read more →

Back to school organizing Back to school organizing  is important for student success. Young students acquire skills with guidance and supervision. The benefits of organizing include: School readiness – Students establish a ready-to-learn mindset. Independence – Students who acquire school readiness skills become more independent with practice. Accountability – Young students learn accountability when expectations are clearly stated. Back to school organizing is imperative for older students because they are expected to be independent and ready to master these 3 critical life skills: Time Management Time management skills include planning, preparation, prioritizing and re-prioritizing, meeting deadlines. It’s now or never for older students to be able to manage their own time. Parents are no longer supervising and teachers expect students to have these skills by the time they are in the academic setting or workforce. Step 1 Review: The student should review all of the requirements in school and at work. Step 2: Plan: Using the review information the student should create a weekly plan and a daily plan. Every night the student should review what he/she accomplished and check what is coming up for the next 2 days. This step will minimize surprises and enable the to make any necessary adjustments. Work on breaking down long term, larger projects into mini-projects. Don’t ascribe to the myth that you work better under pressure and sacrifice quality or accuracy (and even sleep). Accountability Accountability includes motivation, initiative and follow through skills. It’s in the older students best interest to have a system for accountability that they can use on a daily basis. It can be as simple as using a checklist, a planner, or an app. Accountability is highly prized in academic and vocational settings. Older students face new distractions especially when they are not living at home. They need to determine… read more →

Back to school organizing tips Back to school organizing tips for older students are imperative as young adults are expected to be more independent. As a Professional Organizer and Time Management Coach (and former educator) my definition of being independent requires that the older student practice 3 critical life skills: Time management Accountability Self care Time management Back to school organizing tips for older students begin with time management. As students leave high school and plan to enter either a trade school, college or employment it is more critical than ever to know how to: Plan, prepare – The older student needs to practice how to plan ahead and prepare independently. They can no longer rely upon their parents, teachers, employers or friends to tell them how to plan and prepare. In order to effectively plan students need a reliable time management system that they will use on a daily basis. This may include using a planner, setting alerts, and utilizing checklists. Here is a helpful article about time management tips. Prioritize, re-prioritize – The older student will have to learn to balance competing interests such as school assignments versus social invitations. Time management requires establishing priorities while being flexible when new situations arise. The student may have to re-prioritize when confronted with an unexpected illness or family emergency. Successful prioritizing depends upon effective planning. Meet deadlines – Deadlines are helpful for completing tasks and projects. Read my post about deadlines for more tips. The key to getting things done is to create deadlines for yourself. Accountability Back to school organizing tips include accountability. Older students find themselves with much greater freedom. This may require coaching to support the following skills: Self motivation – It’s difficult to teach self motivation. Like all of us, older students need to be able to tap… read more →

Choose to do at least one thing each day: Go thru your children’s closets – donate anything in good condition that does not fit anymore; wash anything that is soiled; repair items, as needed. Now, do the same with all of the items in drawers. Shoes – you know the drill! NOTE: Donate shoes in any condition to Souls 4 Soles (I am collecting shoes in conjunction with the San Diego Chapter of the National Assoc. of Professional Organizers). Storage containers – let’s go to the kitchen and make sure that every plastic container, thermal drink cup, etc. has a lid. If not, re-purpose (use for smaller items, school supplies, makeup, etc.) or recycle it.