Whether it’s the last semester of your senior year, the second semester of your freshman year, or anywhere in-between, getting (and staying) organized in college is extremely important and helpful.

{RELATED POST: Our Favorite College Organization Tips of All Time}

For some of you, organization may come naturally and feel like second nature. I, for one, am obsessed with putting and keeping things in their place. (I even have a Pinterest board devoted to organization titled “Therapy”; I may, in fact, be insane.) For others, however, it takes real effort and self-discipline to keep things neat and tidy all semester long.

As a recent college graduate, I’ve definitely done my fair share of experimenting with different techniques for staying put-together over the years, and I hope that the following tips and tricks help you have a more successful, organized, and stress-free semester!

Table of Contents

1. Multiple Subject Notebooks with Dividers

Product Info: Spiral Notebooks – Mead (Five Star)

Using a multiple subject notebook is by far my number one tip for staying organized all semester long because it’s ridiculously easy to manage. If you’re taking five classes this semester, buy a 5-subject notebook, then simply assign each of your classes a corresponding section in your notebook to take notes and store papers and syllabi.

My holy grail spiral notebook is Mead’s Five Star Advance one (which you can find practically anywhere), because it has dividers and pockets made with super-strong plastic that won’t rip halfway into the semester. These notebooks also have a place for you to store a pen or pencil, which I always found really convenient.

2. Planner/Agenda

Product Info: 1. Lilly Pulitzer, 2. Kate Spade, 3. Target (similar), 4. Wal-Mart