When going back to school, it’s necessary to stay organized because when exam time rolls around, it will be much easier to find papers if they are all sorted and in one place. Rather than frantically searching through files with no system in place, be proactive! At the end of a topic in class, file away the papers from that topic and sort them into homeworks, quizzes, and tests. It may seem like a lot of work, but it will save a lot of time when preparing for exams, and make studying easier overall.

Another way to stay organized as well as lessen the weight of a backpack every day is to take home only one binder with all the needed assignments. “It’s really helpful and efficient for me to only take home one binder so that my backpack isn’t super heavy,” said sophomore Carolyn Miller. “Also, I keep all of the assignments I need to do together.” This is a method that many Hackley students use, and can make commuting to and from school a lot easier with a lighter load to carry.

A vital necessity to stay on top of schoolwork is to keep an agenda. It really helps in the long run to write down any assignments in case the teacher forgets to upload the homework, and also allows students to plan ahead and see what assignments need to get done on certain days of the week. “On Sundays, I map out the work that I will have to do for the week and portion it evenly throughout the week so that I don’t get overly stressed,” said senior Andrea McCree.

With the rise of technology and the increased use of it for educational purposes, digital devices have become key organizational tools. When using this method to stay organized, it’s important to keep everything updated on the applications being used and the reminders created. Hackley sophomore Ryan Smith said, “Setting reminders on my phone help me keep track of which assignments I need to do allows me to stay more organized during the school year.”

Lastly, but most importantly, maintain an organized mental state of mind during the school year. When doing homework, it is pertinent to budget time efficiently and not to go off track of what needs to be accomplished. Establish an amount of time  to work for, and have breaks in between those working periods. This makes for a more productive working style and reduces the chance of procrastinating. In addition, make sure that every time work is being done, the area around is well lit.This will help to stay awake and complete work efficiently.

Polls organized by Jeffrey Guzman, graphics by Claire Gomba.