10 Top Tips for Students To Stay Organised

By Student Cribs | June 14, 2023 | Reading Time: 5 minutes

We all remember that one girl who got far too excited over new stationery and coloured sticky notes back in year 7. Update: she’s now on a grad scheme living in central London with no student debt 🙂 Pencil Polly isn’t looking so silly anymore. If you have the organisational skills of a Zara shop after the January sales, follow these tips to keep your life in tip top working conditions.

1. New Year, New Desk The first step in recovery is admitting you have a problem. You don’t need that worksheet you got on the first day of university, if you do need it put it in a folder. Organise your space to create a practical working environment. Usain Bolt wouldn’t train for the Olympics in a Holiday Inn gym.

2. Throw away everything you don’t need
Time to say goodbye to everything that doesn’t bring you inner joy, thanks Marie Kondo. Seriously, rid your life of all excess stuff. Clear out the rubbish under your bed (look you found that bra you’ve been looking for since September).

3. Buy a desk planner

Nothing says organisation like a whiteboard with a weekly plan on it.
Write down all your important dates and who doesn’t love the satisfaction of using a whiteboard rubber. Hang it in your work space and get yourself into the habit of filling it out at the beginning of each week. Your housemates probably will write profanities on it.

4. Apps

The millenial answer to every problem: an app. But in this case, apps can lead you into a world of organisation you’ve never experienced. Track your steps, your heart rate, remind yourself to call the dentist or your mother. We’re all addicted to our phones, we might as well benefit from it!

5. Desk note stickies

This isn’t for everyone but I swear by the Stickies notes on your laptop. Write down all your deadline dates, events, email addresses of tutors and you will never be late again. Motivational stickies are also another booster for when you can’t find the energy to get off Buzzfeed.

6. Make a routine

Being organised is about getting into healthy living habits. Make your bed everyday and lay out your clothes before you go to bed. Time your mornings so you know when you’re off track and what time you should be where you’re supposed to be. If you start getting up earlier, your body will slowly stop demanding an 11am wake up call. Megan Markle gets up everyday at 5:30am and her hair is very shiny. Be more like Megan.

7. Sleep

Sleep is the most important factor to you becoming the best version of yourself. Headache? Sleep. Bad skin? Sleep. Hungover? Sleep. Get your 8 hours people and your body will reward you with more energy and more motivation to get that essay done.

8. You are what you eat

Eating well at university is difficult because you don’t have any money, you’re drinking copious amounts of alcohol and there’s always an option to buy 2 dominos for the price of 1. But your body is like a car and if you fill that car with PVA glue it’s not going to run very well. Make a shopping list to save money, make a meal plan before you shop and meal prep every sunday to avoid snacking on rubbish and falling victim to the Costa ham and cheese toastie everyday.

9. Don’t expect immediate results

If you’re a disorganised person, it’s hard to change old habits. Slowly try and incorporate these tips into your regime and it’ll become much easier to manage. Take it one step at a time.

10. Plan ahead

This is obvious, think proactively and plan ahead. Whether that is what you’re going to wear to your 8am tomorrow to avoid stumbling around in a pre coffee haze or making sure you leave enough time for that essay.

Make 2019 your year and implement these tips into your routine and you’ll be as organised as the John Lewis towel section before you know it!

Looking for a place to live next year?
Check out our amazing student houses and make an enquiry before you’re too late!