Life's a mess, clean it up

We can organize many things in life. Essays, shoe collections and governments are just a few possibilities. But for a college student who is strapped for both time and money, perhaps the most diffi cult area to alphabetize, categorize and color code is a house or room.

By this point in the school year, most students’ original organizational intentions have fallen by the wayside and been replaced by worries over papers and midterms. So if your room, desk or house looks like more like a construction site than a living space, here are a few tips to get your room back on track.


5 EASY WAYS TO ORGANIZE YOUR ROOM FOR LESS THAN $10
1. 3m hooks, about $6
They are strong, and if properly applied and removed, they won’t damage the paint
on your walls. Use them to hang necklaces, coats, backpacks and picture frames.
2. Pizza X cups, free with your purchase of a drink
While these are often used for less “organized” forms of entertainment, consider
keeping your writing utensils or makeup brush holders in them, too.
3. Dry erase board, about $8.50
Keep a to-do list or a list of things to buy, or write passive-aggressive notes to your
roommate on them. You can prop it up on your desk or hang it on the wall with
some of those fancy 3m hooks.
4. Pop-up hamper, about $7
With sturdy handles for dragging your laundry down four fl ights of stairs and
pockets to hang your detergent and fabric softener, this is not your typical hamper.
Many of these kinds of hampers also have some sort of closeable top, which means
it’s perfect for throwing your dirty laundry in the car for Mom to do.
5. Command cord organizer pack, about $7
Between the wires for your diff erent chargers, television and all your roommate’s
stuff , something’s going to get tangled. This product will organize all of those,
keeping them off the fl oor and away from potential liquid spills.

CLEAN!
Before you begin organizing, spend time cleaning. It’s the only way you’ll be able to see the full space you have to work with. Th row out or recycle unnecessary clutter. Unless that free bottle opener from Welcome Week has found a home on your key ring, it’s time to say goodbye. If it’s your closet that needs organizing, do all your laundry first and then start categorizing.

KNOW YOUR HABITS
The nice thing about organizing a space after you’ve been living in it for
a few months is that you know where you like to charge your phone, keep your sweaters and hang your coat. Keep all of that in mind when you’re setting up your new plan. It’ll only lead to frustration and lost items if you try to rework the placement of  every single item in your room.

FIND A SYSTEM THAT WORKS FOR YOU
Alphabetizing and color-coding is not for everyone. If you don’t already have a system like that in place, it’s probably not the one for you. Being organized is not all about labeling every single pencil and paperclip you own. Th e definition of “organize,” according to Merriam- Webster, is to arrange elements into a whole of interdependent parts. If that means keeping your gym bag next to your iHome because you always work out to music, then keep it there.

SMALL WINS
Whatever system you decide to implement, just remember to keep it going. Your new paperfiling binder or hanging shoe rack won’t help you find what you’re looking for if you left everything in a pile on the floor.