Those days, thankfully, are gone. Now I have a cleaning schedule and I do one or two chores every day. My place stays relatively clean at all times and my Saturdays are reserved for farmers markets, brunch, and Netflix. As they should be.

Here is the sample cleaning schedule that I used to develop my own. I tailored this to what my apartment needed and swapped chores around based on which days I had the most time to clean. Obviously, if you live in a dorm, your chore list is going to be shorter. The key is to create a schedule that works for you and your space. Bonus points if you make a schedule with your roommates and designate different days for different chores!

Designate a Place for Everything

This is obvious advice, but it’s funny how few people follow it. Designate a place for everything you own, from your pencils and pens to your papers from each class to your keys. If you know where everything goes and you spend a few minutes each night putting things back, you’re never scrambling to find something at the last minute. Easy enough, right?

Create a Workspace That Makes You Happy

Let’s be real: Studying is a lot more enjoyable when your desk looks good. Some may think it’s frivolous, but I believe it’s worth investing in stylish desk supplies to create a space where you’d WANT to sit for hours.

We have written zillions of blog posts on organizing and decorating your room and workspace. Here are our most popular articles on the subject to get you started:

• How to Get Organized for the New Semester
• How to Organize Your Dorm Room Study Space
• A Beginner’s Guide to Feng Shui
• Dorm 101: Must-Haves for Dorm Organization
• 3 Tech Accessories to Upgrade Your Desk Space
• How to Organize a Small Space
• Dormspiration: Celebrity Workspace Edition

What do you think?

How do you stay organized in college? What systems have you set up since school began? Anything you’re working on improving before midterm season arrives? Anything you’re having trouble organizing in your life? Let me know by leaving a comment!