Advice Season 2 Episode 2

Hello Ala!

I’m finding it hard to organize my school papers this year because of the mix of online and on paper work. What should I do?

Dear reader,

Thank you for asking this question.

The 2021/22 school year definitely has some challenges ahead, and you just pointed out one of them. Personally, I relate to this question as well. The mix of mediums can present obstacles, but with a little organization, your papers will start to make sense once again.

Paper

Of course, we are used to shoving our papers into our binders, which later end up in our lockers and then in our bookbags. Since you mentioned you still get some papers, I would recommend sticking with the old method of am-pm binders or using binder pocket dividers. When everything was on paper, an am-pm binder might have been a great solution to not carry too much throughout the day, but with not all classes using paper, that might not be the most efficient idea. Using binder pocket dividers though presents itself as the more attractive option in today’s times. I recommend buying a 1-1.5-inch binder, depending on how much paper you use, and using it for all paper classes. After getting the binder, make sure to label or assign a specific color to each class. Make sure to carry a few pieces of loose-leaf paper in each divider as well and clean out the divider after finishing every unit.

Online

This is a presumably new situation, though most students already have a lot of experience with technology. Regarding Teams, make sure to use the Assignments tab; at the end of the day, check whether you have any assignments left to complete. Additionally, check that you can see notifications from all teams to stay on top of your assignments. As for OneNote, you get a bit of a head start since you have a folder for each class and your teachers create folders for you. Don’t be shy to create new folders in your section and make subpages to make units more organized. If you ever need help with getting either OneNote or Teams to work, ask one of your classmates or teachers, they will be more than willing to help you to keep your files in order.

Homework

Now, there are two options for keeping track of your homework - online or on paper. Personally, I am used to writing my assignments and important events in my agenda book, so that’s what I would recommend. Ask an English teacher if you need or would like an agenda book. No matter if you have your laptop out or not you can quickly open your agenda and jot down some notes to remember for later. You can also use an online calendar and note everything there, though in my opinion, it can be problematic to use one, since you need to have your device out to make your notes in it.

I hope this helps!

Ala