42. 100 Organization Tips for School and Work: Part 2 (51-100)
Episode 42
This is Part 2 of my 2-part series about work and school organization. (Did you miss Part 1 with tips 1-50? It's linked below.)
In this episode, I share another 50 rapid-fire organization tips to help you streamline every aspect of your school and work life: study spaces, offices, dorms, time management, tasks, files, and more.
Be sure to catch Part 1 (Episode 41) for tips 1 through 50!
🎙️Other Episodes + Resources Mentioned
Episode 03 → What’s an Admin Block and Why You Need One
Episode 05 → Secrets of a Good Task Management System
Episode 15 → Secrets of a Good Task Management System
Episode 28→ 6 Tips for Organizing Papers
Episode 33 → Resume Tips for Students
✏️ FREE DOWNLOADS:
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The following transcript was autogenerated and may contain some interesting and silly errors. But in the name of efficiency and productivity, I am choosing not to spend my time fixing them. :)
100 organization tips for school and work: part 2 (51-100)===
[00:00:00]
Hello, and welcome to the Learn and Work Smarter podcast. This is episode 42 and it is the second episode in our 100 organization tips for school and work series.
If you missed the first episode, we covered tips 1 through 51 that was in episode 41. And today we are covering tips 51 through 100, where we're going to continue exploring strategies that can streamline your school work and personal life.Now, before we start with tip number one, which is really tip 51, I want to remind you that there is a transcript of this episode, which means that all of the tips are spelled out in text for you to come back to in the future at learnandworksmarter.com/podcast/42
that is learnandworksmarter.com/podcast/42. And that will take you to the show notes where you can access everything that I mentioned today.
These tips are quick, practical and designed to help you [00:01:00] simplify all of the things. So grab your pens, grab your paper, or of course your notes app.And let's dive in.
All right. So some of the tips we are about to cover are better suited for our students and some are better for working professionals and then some are suitable for both. So take what you like leave the rest, which is the motto for everything that I teach here on the podcast. All right.So tip 51. Remember that's tip one of today's episode, but tip 51 in the whole series. Schedule the first step of large assignments.
Don't just think about when your project is due. [00:02:00] Schedule the first step. If you have an essay due, start by scheduling time to write the outline. Breaking projects into steps makes them feel more manageable and you will feel more organized.
Tip 50 to use the two to one ratio if you fall behind. It is really easy to fall behind in our work and our assignments, but you can catch up without overwhelming yourself.Here's the two to one ratio that I like to teach: for every two current assignments that you complete tackle one past due one and repeat two current and one past due, until you were all caught up.
Tip 53, keep reference sheets front and center.
Whether it's formulas, periodic tables, language conjugations, or maybe like department phone numbers, you want to keep key reference sheets, easily accessible, stick them to the inside of your notebook or folder. So you can find them quickly when needed.
Tip54, adopt a regular study spot. Choosing a specific location to study and to work helps [00:03:00] reduce decision fatigue and helps you create a routine. Whether it is a cozy corner in the library, maybe a quiet cafe,
having a go-to spot will help you get into the study zone or work zone faster through the power of association.
55 clip units together. Now, once a unit ends this one's for students group, all of the materials with a binder clip and label it with the unit name. This keeps your notes organized and makes it easier to review for exams.
I call these study packets.
56, keep various sized index cards handy. Index cars are a game changer for active recall, and for reviewing key concepts. I keep both small and large index cards on hand for different subjects. Use the larger ones for more detailed diagrams or notes.
57 youth click, top pens, incentive, capped pens. Have you ever lost a chem pat pet?
Pen cap. With click top pens, like though, you know what I'm saying? You don't [00:04:00] have to worry about that. They are quick to use. They are less likely to end up as clutter in your backpack or your workspace.
58. This may seem so random, but like if you're working from home or studying from home, Minimize your shoes.
Okay. Maybe if you live in a dorm room, I'm actually kind of thinking this one is for you. Shoes take up a surprising amount of space. Keep your collection minimal. Store them in a vertical rack to save floor space. Again, particularly if you live in a dorm.
59, do regular brain dumps. If you have a million things swirling around in your mind, like I do set aside time to do a brain dump. Write everything that's down that is on your mind. This clears mental clutter and helps you organize your tasks. On my schoolhabits.com website, I have a tutorial that walks you exactly through the steps of how to do a brain dump, because I do teach it a little bit different. I have a sort of a twist to it that I think makes it more effective and I will leave that link to the blog post. It's very step-by-step [00:05:00] in the description below.
Okay. 60, write everything down. Never trust yourself to remember everything, whether it's assignments or appointments or tasks, okay, get it out of your head and get in the habit of writing it down. We talk all about task management in episode five.
61 schedule admin time, weekly block off at least one hour a week to handle life admin, answer emails, pay bills, organize your schedule. It doesn't have to be an hour. Everybody's situation is different. It might be half an hour. You know, twice a week. If you listen to episode one, which is our very first episode here on the podcast. I teach you how to incorporate an admin block into your daily or weekly uh, work and school schedule.
Uh, 62 have a Sunday routine. Use Sunday to reset for the upcoming week. You can review your schedule. Plan your meals, organize your bag, your workspace, your time, your calendar, this simple [00:06:00] routine can help set the tone for a productive week.
Tip 50, no Kip tip. 63. T 63. Create a shutdown routine.
Before you go to bed, do a quick review of your to-do list to make sure that you haven't missed anything. This helps you sort of close the mental loops from the day, and frankly it helps you sleep better.
64 return library, books, books on time. Avoid letting borrowed library books pile up in the backseat of your car or your kitchen counter. Returning them on time helps keep your space clear and free of unnecessary clutter. One strategy that I like to do is when I get a library book, I immediately add the return date to my calendar with an alarm. And so then I'm getting a notice that the book is going to be due soon. My library will automatically renew the books for me, even if I'm late.
So sometimes I disregard the due date, but maybe your library is a little bit more strict [00:07:00] and it's going to charge you for late books. So get that deadline or that due date in your calendar.
65 update your resume and LinkedIn profile. Annually each year I suggest updating your resume and LinkedIn with your new accomplishments, you are going to think yourself when it is time to apply for internships or jobs.
episode 33, I teach strategies for creating the best and most stand out-able resume. Episode 33.
Tip 66, make phone calls instead of sending emails. If you have a simple question do not waste your time on an email chain. Call your advisor, call your professor, call your manager or whatever for a faster and more efficient response.
67. Pack your bags and lay out clothes the night before. Get ahead of your day by prepping your bag and your clothes before bed. It is one less thing to worry about in the morning when you're running around is trying to get out of the house on time.
68. Borrow [00:08:00] pleasure books from the library. Instead of buying books you may only read once you can borrow them. This saves you time and money and space.
69 do fewer things.
All right. You do not need to do everything. Maybe I'm talking to myself with this tip, but I don't know. I'm sure I'm talking to some of you out there too. A jam packed resume or a schedule might seem impressive, but being selective about your commitments can prevent burnout. Plus it's sometimes better to go a mile deep than it is to go a mile wide.
Tip 70 store your password securely.
Don't rely on your browser to remember all your passwords. Keep them in a secure document. Or a password manager.
71 track your professors' names, offers hours and policies. Now this one's specifically for students, but if you're a working professional, you could adapt it for your context as well. But to keep a document, even like an apple note, right? With important details about your professors like office hours, late assignment policies.
All right. [00:09:00] This info is going to be helpful throughout the semester.
Tip 72 keep your course plan updated. You want to make sure your course plan is always up to date so that you can track your progress towards your major is towards your minors and towards graduation. For help creating this document you want to talk to your school advisor. Obviously, this one is for students.
73, use a paper inbox for quick notes.
Keep a pad of paper next to your workspace to jot down the thoughts or tasks that pop into your head while you are working on a cognitively demanding task. Okay. This keeps you from getting distracted. You do not act on those thoughts that pop up. When you're done working, then you can look at the list that you wrote and say, okay, I need to do that.
That was just a worry. That thing needs to go on a calendar. That thing needs to go on my task list. As soon as random. I don't know why I wrote this down deal with it later. It helps improve your focus when you're working on hard things.
74 sort mail before leaving the mail room, if you're on campus, or before walking into your dorm or before [00:10:00] walking into your house. Toss out junk mail, immediately deal with important letters before you leave this prevents clutter from piling up in your space.
75, make all appointments at the start of the semester.
Or you could say,, if you're not in school at the start of a quarter, Knock out your upcoming appointments. So your doctor visits your advisers, right? All at once, and put them on your calendar. This prevents sort of mid semester scheduling chaos.
By the way if you're finding these tips useful and want to dive even more into mastering your study skills, your organization, your time management. I've got just the thing.
My online course SchoolHabits University teaches all of this in more with step-by-step guidance, lifetime access, 12 months of personal support from me. And a whole library of digital templates and resources. You can learn more and enroll today at schoolhabitsuniversity.com to get an exact roadmap for implementing everything we talk about here on the podcast. All right.
Tip 76. Create an accounts document. This is where you would [00:11:00] track all of your important financial info, your student loans, your bank, account numbers, your credit cards, right? In a secure document. It's got to be secure, right? We're not just storing this in a Google doc. Keep it updated and secure with multi-factor authentication.
77, wake up at the same time every day.
Consistency with your wake-up time helps regulate your energy and productivity. Also, it is easier to organize your time and schedule when, you know how much time you have each day to work with?
78. I don't keep packaging containers. So once the open a box or packaging recycling immediately, the more boxes you keep them more junk, you will find to store them in.
Unless you have a cat like I do, then you can leave them on the kitchen floor for a week because that is going to be your cats new home for at least seven days.
79 regularly clean your school and work supplies. Take time every few weeks to clean out your backpack, your work bag, your desk, your folders, a clean space, truly, truly [00:12:00] yields, a clean mind.
Tip 80 sort through paper piles or once a week. The papers do accumulate.
It is inevitable. So take a few minutes each week to sort through and organize the paper piles before they become overwhelming. For more tips about organizing papers, listen to, or watch episode 26, which is called how to organize papers. If you have some kind of Sunday routine, that can be a great time to tackle these papers.
81 plan commute times into your schedule.
Don't forget to account for the time it takes to get to and from classes and appointments. Plan ahead so you are not rushing when you're building out your Google calendar and making your time visible on the front and back end of each of your appointments, whether that's a class or a meeting, you got to add in this commute time.
82, keep your backpack clean and organized. Every week clean out your backpack or your work bag. Once a month, take everything out, shake it upside down and wipe the inside [00:13:00] surfaces.
83 schedule homework for certain days. This works in, if you're in the professional space too, and you're sort of like a knowledge kind of worker and you're not, you know, going to construction sites or, you know, site visits or things like that.
But automation is the king of simplicity and organization. So automate your schedule by creating a routine in which you do certain homework or tasks, or kind of work on certain days. So for example, you could do all your statistics homework after stats, class in library, on Tuesdays and Thursdays. All right. If you're a student, if you routine routinize - that works -, your homework schedule, you'll never wonder when am I going to get everything done? All right.
If you're in the professional space and you do, um, maybe like all meeting type of work on one day, maybe you can do some sort of like work on projects on another day. I know I'm not giving a good example cause I'm pulling this off the tip of my head, but you get the idea sort of designate certain times in your week for [00:14:00] certain types of work. Right.
84, choose a functional backpack or work bag and not a trendy one. Your backpack or work bag should be practical and comfortable, not just stylish. You want to make sure it's big enough for all your essentials without being bulky.
85, keep important school numbers in one place. In college and beyond you're going to accumulate a lot of important numbers beyond phone numbers.
All right. So store financial numbers, like your nonfinancial numbers, like your student ID, your locker combo, your library number in a document for quick access, this isn't the financial stuff. That was a different tip.
86, stay productive even on days without homework. Even when you don't have homework, you can use a free time to. I organize review notes, clean up your workspace.
This is the secret of top performers. Little bits at a time when nobody's looking. All right.
87. We're almost there. Keep your Google drive or one drive folders simple.
Organize [00:15:00] your digital space, Google drive by creating a folder for each school year, and then sub folders for each class. All right. Avoid over organizing with too many layers. Just those two layers- any more than that. And it becomes too much friction.
88 use a naming convention for digital files. When saving digital files named them clearly use your class name and then a brief description, like whatever your name and convention use it every single time.
This helps you find things quickly when you need them. Professionals come up with a naming convention that makes sense for the work that you do. And then stick to it. That's the whole point of a convention, right? It's a thing that you do all the time.
89 plan your schedule in Google calendar or outlook calendar, whatever. Google calendar is -a digital calendar is a must have tool for organizing your time. Use it to plan your weekly schedule to stay on top of deadlines.
Remember: time is invisible, right? And the first step to any time management system is to make [00:16:00] time visible. You do that with the calendar.
Tip 90 delete unused phone apps, clear up space on your phone and your device by regularly, regularly deleting apps that you don't use. If you need them later, you can always re-install them.
91, download Google apps on your phone.
Okay. This is, of course, if you're using the Google ecosystem. You want to make sure you have the mobile access to Google docs, calendar drive classrooms. So you can manage school and work tasks when you are not on your computer. It's great having the, Google docs app on your phone too.
If you are writing a lot, you can use the voice text within, or just the mic on your phone keyboard inside Google docs to speak in essay to speak in email or draft an email that you want to write. Okay. And get it in Google docs. And then when you're at your computer at some point, then you can go in and clean it up
92 keep your [00:17:00] laptop downloads folder clear. Regularly, emptying out your downloads folder.
And desktop is a great way to stay organized, move important files to the appropriate folders and delete the rest.
93. Manage your email inbox emails are a big part of college and work life and personal life. Set aside time weekly to organize your inbox and respond to important messages. We talk about email management in episode 15. And the key strategy that I keep there, ah, teach there is to extract information from your emails and put it in one of two places: your calendar, if it's time-based or your task management system if it's action-based after that, you can delete or archive the email.
94 bookmark only essential websites. Bookmark up to 10
-that's my recommendation- of your most commonly used websites. Keep them school or a work-related like email, Google classroom, the library website, right? Do not bookmark Amazon, [00:18:00] uh, games, YouTube or other distracting sites.
We got to love ourselves better than that.
Tip 95. Use a scanning app on your phone apps like Adobe scan or doc scan are great for quickly scanning documents.
Save them to Google drive and recycle the paper copy.
96 regularly, regularly delete photos from your phone while waiting in line, maybe commuting. If you're a passenger, take a few minutes to clean out unnecessary photos from your phone, duplicates, ones that you don't like.
97, use Google. Keep for important lists.Keep track. You can use Google notes for this too, but to keep track of key information or lists with Google keep, or your notes app is a great way to keep track of those, Things that you need to remember that aren't tasks right in the net aren't financial information that kind of goes in its own spot, but maybe books you want to read, show recommendations, restaurants that you want to try. Right.
Things like that.
98, we are almost there. Keep your computer [00:19:00] task bar minimal. Only pin frequently used apps to your task bar. Keep it simple and keep it uncluttered for easy access to the productive tools that you use the most
99 organized by priority not by task length. When planning your day do not just focus on how long tasks are going to take.
You want to prioritize tasks based on importance rather than ease or speed, so that you're always working on what matters most.
A little side tip for this one, this isn't number 100- this is a side tip, but it can be helpful. Maybe use Google keep or your task management system for this too. But to keep a sort of smaller list of all those little tasks that are like, you know, five or 10 minutes that if you don't have a lot of time, but you still want to be productive, you can consult that little list with, oh yeah
-I meant to do that. I got to do that. Just have a little list of five to 10 minute tasks that you can use to fill in those blocks of time. You know what I'm saying? Like commuting, waiting, waiting in [00:20:00] line and things like that.
Tip 100. We have made it. Be flexible, but stay consistent. Life happens.
And sometimes our organization plans will need to change. Okay. But if we are flexible with our routines and if we stay consistent with our commitment to staying organized, then we're going to have the most success.
Building this habit of being consistent of falling off the bandwagon and saying that's okay, I'm not going to throw in the towel.
I'm going to get back on the bandwagon. I'm going to get back into my systems. Be forgiving of yourself. Be gracious of yourself. You don't have to implement all of these hundred tips at once. Okay. But just try to be consistent.
There you have it 100 organization tips to help you stay on top of your school and work life.
These strategies are obviously not just about, you know, staying tidy. But about building the habits that are going to help you manage your time, reduce stress, and ultimately get you to where you want to go. [00:21:00]
If you found these tips helpful, be sure to check out my other episodes and resources.
And remember, you can find a transcript of everything we covered today. At learnandworksmarter.com/podcast/42. Don't forget to listen or watch part one, which is episode 41.
Thank you for tuning in and don't forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode.
And until next time never stop learning.
