I’m a fairly organized person.  I like it when things are in their proper place and I hate missing due dates or deadlines.  I’m far from perfect but I do have a couple of tips for helping you stay organized and on top of things in the coming year.

Use a Paper Calendar
This has been such a lifesaver in terms of keeping up on my assignments and planning my time.  Having it on paper in front of me is so much better than having it in my calendar app.  Seeing when things are coming up in relation to other things means I can plan my time most efficiently. 

Keep Things Separate
I have so many notebooks.  So.  Many. I have my journals, one for travel and one for daily life, my blog notebook, notebooks for each of my school subjects, and one that sits next to my bed for making lists when I can’t sleep.  Those are just the ones I use. I also have a bunch of pretty ones waiting to be filled!  Keeping things separate has made it easier for me to focus on things as I go.  When I kept everything in the same place I got distracted by the other lists and notes I'd made earlier.  

Use a Fan Folder To Keep Track of Receipts and Other Important Documents
Life as a student means I have to be really careful with my money. I don’t have a job so the money I have has to be used wisely.  Putting receipts into a folder and keeping them organized means I can look at the breakdown of what I've been spending the most money on. It's also handy to have receipts to use for tax returns.  So get yourself something pretty (or just functional if you plan on keeping it out of sight) and when the people say “do you need your receipt today?” answer with “YES I DO!”

Invest in Storage You Love
The baskets, boxes, bins, drawers, and holders you use should all be things that you love.  You look at them every single day, they hold your most important documents, and can be seen by everyone else.  There are so many beautiful storage options out there so why use clear plastic bins when you can find something to double as a “piece” and as a functional storage solution?!

Use Your Hands
If there's something that you just can't seem to remember, put a note on the back of your hand.  You’re guaranteed to see it and chances are you’ll see it at a time when you’ve got a chance to actually deal with it! You might lose a piece of paper, but if you’ve lost your hand, you’ve got bigger problems than the note you wrote on the back of it!

What are some of the ways you stay organized? Are you more of a digital organizer or a paper one? Have I missed anything crucial? Let me know below!