Skip to main content

Keep Your Backpack Organized and Tidy

During a recent tutoring session I had with a middle schooler, we wanted to review a recent practice exam that he'd found challenging—but after digging through his backpack for several minutes, he couldn’t find it. This made me realize how much disorganization can hold students back.

A messy backpack can make school more stressful, while an organized one helps students stay on top of assignments and be more prepared. Here’s why keeping your backpack neat is important:

  • Saves Time: No more digging through crumpled papers to find your homework. An organized backpack makes it easy to grab what you need.
  • Reduces Stress: Knowing where everything is keeps you calm and focused, especially during busy school days.
  • Prevents Lost Assignments: A clutter-free backpack ensures important papers and notes don’t go missing.
  • Keeps Supplies Ready: Having pens, notebooks, and other essentials neatly stored means you're always prepared for class.

Tips for an Organized Backpack

  • Clean it out weekly, removing old papers and trash. It's a great idea to set a specific time each week (for example, on Sunday evening after dinner) for this brief organizational work.
  • Use folders or binders to separate subjects.
  • Keep frequently used items in easy-to-reach pockets.
By keeping your backpack tidy, you’ll be more prepared, less stressed, and better equipped to succeed in school!
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Double Check Your Work

Sounds simple, but so many students forget to double check their work.  Spending 5 or 10 extra minutes here and there will really make a difference. Especially on tests and quizzes, use the time productively if you finish early.  Rather than socializing with your friends, be sure to look over as many answers as possible.  Correcting one or two careless mistakes might be the difference between receiving a B or an A. It's also not just about tests and quizzes.  Do it with your homework as well!  At the end of the evening, be sure to do a quick final check.  Did you finish all the work for every class, and did you remember to put every assignment neatly into your backpack?  Don't give away these easy points by forgetting to finish something -- or worse yet, finishing it but leaving it at home!
Post a Comment
Read more

Use the Process of Elimination

On multiple choice tests and quizzes, all that matters is picking the right answer.  Obviously, the best way to do well is to figure out the right answer to each question.  But sometimes you won't know the right answer to certain questions.  What should you do then? One of the best approaches is to use the process of elimination.  Take a look at all of the multiple choice answer options, and see if there are any obviously incorrect answers.  For example, if you can estimate the answer to a multiple choice math question is between 50 and 100, then you could eliminate the choices for 25 and 150.  Then, make a guess from the remaining options.  If you manage to eliminate 2 out of 4 options, you've significantly improved your odds of making the right guess. Of course, use process of elimination guessing as a last resort.  The best approach is always to study hard and avoid the need to guess in the first place.
Post a Comment
Read more

Focus Your Studying

In order to ace your tests and succeed in school, you obviously need to study. Studying can sometimes be a grind, so in order to be both efficient and effective with your time, you need to be ultra-focused in your study habits.  Unfocused studying can be nearly as bad as no studying at all.  Here are some best practices for how to stay focused while studying: Find a quiet study environment : It's hard to concentrate and absorb your study materials if there's loud music, a television, or talking friends and family in the background. Establish a clean workspace : It may be hard to believe, but having a clean desk is a simple way to get yourself comfortable and into a good frame of mind for studying. Avoid the computer and cell phone : You will learn at a faster pace when you can focus for a reasonable period of time without distraction.  Don't break up your thinking by continually checking your text messages or status updates on your favorite social network. Take perio...
2 comments
Read more