13 Essential Back-to-School Organization Tips

With all the chaos that ensues when it's time to go back to school, it can be difficult to stay organized. These 13 back-to-school organization tips will make it all feel simple.

Staying organized at any stage of life is difficult. However, with each new year, it's normal to want to change the systems you may have had in the past to make them more efficient. Take the time to fully research what works best for you.

As someone who knows the chaos of the school year all too well, I understand what it's like to feel overwhelmed by just how much there is to do every day. The only thing that tames this mayhem, is being proactive about it. Trying to get organized before your life starts to get really busy is the best thing you can do for yourself.

A new school year is a chance to start over. Implementing systems that make it easier for you to be consistent. Following the 13 simple back-to-school organization tips can make this a whole lot more seamless. Doing a little bit of work and upfront organizing now can save you a lot of time and effort later.

This post is all about back-to-school organization tips to transform your school year.

Back-to-School Organization Tips

1. Binder Organization

Organizing your binder is the perfect way to set a foundation for overall school organization. I would recommend starting the year with an organizational binder specifically. Something like this organizational binder from Amazon would work well for starting with an organizational binder. However, feel free to find a binder that is the right size and has everything you need.

If you already have a more standard binder then I would recommend using something like these organizational binder Poly Jackets. They are great for dividing your binder into sections. Probably one of the best tips when organizing anything, especially binders or folders is to make sure that everything has its designated place. Using a special organizational binder or a poly jacket is easy and simple to ensure you're doing just that.

2. Backpack Organization Hacks

Other than folders and binders, backpacks are the other extremely important places to have your organization perfected. Having the right backpack is most important when it comes to this, and I would recommend The North Face Borealis Backpack. There are a million pockets which makes it so easy to store as much as you want in one of them. You'll never run out of pockets and more importantly, everything you want to keep in your backpack will have a place to go.

Besides having the right backpack it's important to practice habits that maintain organization. Don't shove papers into your backpack as soon as you get them, put them in a folder. Try and organize the books in the main compartment in a certain order, and keep them like that all the time.

If you implement a few backpack organization tips and stick with them your backpack should always seem tidy throughout the school year.

3. School Organization System

Creating a school organization system is the same as putting all of the tips in the blog to consistent use. But it can be helpful to consider other organization tips in your space. Use a planner or a calendar as a master organizer of your time and energy. With this, you can stay ahead of time-consuming assignments and events.

You can also use the planner to create daily or weekly to-do lists and goals. Once you have something big to strive towards, it will be easier to accomplish little things. And remember to ask for help when needed. The ultimate organization system will allow you to treat yourself as a human, not a robot. If you need help staying organized, always ask for it from whoever you think will best be able to assist you.

4. School Desk Organization Ideas

Whether you have a designated desk at school, or you're trying to organize your school desk at home, having a space for everything is VITAL. I know this sounds repetitive, but that's because this is actually one of the biggest takeaways when trying to get organized.

Using a desk organizer like this one is a great way to keep small knick-knacks from getting all over the place. If you don't have space for a desk organizer, or just don't want one, I would recommend just ensuring that everything that is on your desk has a specific place. Even if it's just out in the open, if you can, using hidden space would really help. If you can't organize things on your desk then put them in a place where they're less visible, like inside a drawer or a container.

5. How to Organize School Papers

This ties into the school binder section a little bit, but if you're looking to organize papers without a binder I would recommend these heavy duty folders. I've used them for YEARS and although the colors are a little loud, they hold so much without breaking. They're basic, but they do the job extremely well.

I would recommend a folder for each class, and if you don't want to fill your backpack space with so many folders, then I would just get a few, like 2 or 3, and regularly clean them out. However, this is more work, so make sure you don't forget or you might end up with an even more disorganized folder.

6. Notebook Organizer

A good notebook organizer is similar to a good desk organizer, however it has larger slots to hold the notebooks. This notebook is sturdy and has enough slots to hold your notebooks. Although, there are a ton of desk organizers that have a notebook organizer in them as well.

If you want one that does both, I would look at the tons of options that combine smaller drawers and larger notebook slots. At the end of the day, you want to choose one that works for you because that's the best way to stay motivated and organized throughout the year.

7. Desk Caddy Ideas

Now if a more formal desk organizer isn't what you are looking for then desk caddies are a great alternative. This desk caddy from Amazon has adjustable compartments, fun colors, and is good quality. Whether you're looking for something that will fit on your desk or maybe a rolling desk cart this desk caddy will serve you well.

Desk caddies can be smaller than desk organizers, which is great if you're looking for something that doesn't take up too much space. They are compact and offer the same level of organization, so if you have a more restricted study space, I would recommend a desk caddy.

8. High School Organizational Skills

Organizational skills help more than any product could help. Building the correct habits will ensure that all of your organization's products will work for you, not the other way around. It will completely transform your organizational ability if you start off by choosing 3 or 4 new habits you want to try to incorporate into your daily routine.

Once you have a few routines down it'll be easier to figure out what can actually help you in your organizational journey, and which products are just going to increase your overall clutter. This isn't a fun and exciting new tip or trick, but it's extremely effective.

9. Organization Checklist

Again this ties into building organizational skills but if you're really struggling to stay organized, one of the best things you can do is create an organization checklist. You can write this checklist down in a simple planner like this one, or just keep it in your notes app. However, it's important to pick a routine, commit it to writing, and stick to it.

So many of the tips here work together. This is because ultimately organization is a multi-step process. It takes a lot of repeated effort to be able to stay organized. Start with a checklist routine and build from there.

10. School Lunch Organization Ideas

Having a good lunch box is so important in the early mornings when you want to pack everything and keep it organized and clean in your lunch box. This lunch box is perfect for school because it's durable, and of course, it's easy to clean. It's large enough to hold anything and everything you want.

Additionally, for any lunch box you choose, it's so helpful to use bento boxes for even further organization. Using this lunch box and bento box combination you'll have absolutely no trouble staying orderly and mess-free throughout the year. As an added bonus, there are SO MANY color options for the lunch box. You can choose from a variety of different styles to make organization fun.

11. School Organization Apps

One of my favorite organizational apps is the Structured app. It's AMAZING and will actually change your life. The structured app is great for more day-to-day in-depth planning. You can change setting colors, and icons, and overall it's extremely customizable. It's also efficient and super easy to use.

If you're not the day-to-day planning type of person, you should be. It adds so much ease to your life. However, I would also recommend using Google Calendar. There are a ton of different ways to customize it to do exactly what you need. It's also great for planning months in advance, unlike the structured app. Organizational apps can improve the stress of being busy with different activities.

12. Organize Homework

Organizing your homework can feel like an arbitrary task, but it's so important. A lot of this organization happens in your folders or binders. The most simple and clear-cut tip I have for you is to label the sides of your folders. It works for younger kids, but I always found it so helpful in school. Have one side of the folder that's always dedicated to holding your homework. It can help you avoid those stressful moments when you're searching for an assignment as it's due.

You don't even have to officially label the sides with a marker. Just making a mental note to yourself works perfectly fine. Also, this is where having a separate folder for each class can really pay off. It takes this organization hack to the next level.

13. Room Organization

The last part of good organization for the school year is room organization. Try your best to ensure that you have a designated space or corner in your room for "school". This is where you do your homework and/or where all of your school supplies live.

Invest in storage solutions such as shelves, drawers, or organizers to keep your school supplies neatly arranged and easily accessible. Consider labeling containers or drawers to streamline the process of locating specific items when needed.

By creating a well-organized and personalized study area within your room, you'll set yourself up for success and maximize your productivity throughout the school year.