Alright so with the new semester about to kick off, I found it was appropriate to post this as our kick-off post! The first thing we should get off our chest is our back to school checklist! *gasp*

Up until now, most of you have been told how to organize your binders and notebooks for school - your teachers have told you! - but in high school it isn`t like that. It`s more like a free-for-all when it comes to mundane things like that. Even if you’re a sophomore, junior, or senior, a lot of you are still confused about how to effectively organize your books and binders!! So that is where this article will come in handy. 

Now it`s important to know how you learn and how you typically work in terms of thinking. Why is this important? To figure out the most effective way to organize your binder!!

There are three [general] types of learning categories. There are the listeners (auditory), the read-and-writers (visual), and the do-it-yourself-ers (kinaesthetic). Now before we continue let’s have a quick lesson on how to identify your type. (If you know your type, skip ahead).

_________________________________________________________

Auditory:

Do you prefer to listen to a teacher talk instead of writing notes? Would you rather have a class discussion than write an essay? Are you one of those people that self-help CD’s are more practical than books? Do you use chants or hand gestures to help you remember information for a test?

If you answered yes to one or more of these questions, then you are an Auditory learner! 

Visual:

Would you rather copy notes? Do you learn information better through diagrams and reading? Do you use flashcards to help you study? Do you “excessively” highlight, sticky note, and create diagrams and charts to help you remember information for a test?

If you answered yes to one or more of these questions than you are a visual learner!

Kinaesthetic:

Do you hate sitting in a classroom? Would you rather do things hands-on than from a book or diagram? Do you prefer labs or demonstrations over lectures? Do you play games like “Pass The Ball” to remember information for tests?

If you answered yes to one or more of these questions than you are a kinaesthetic learner!

_________________________________________________________

Moving on.

It’s important to know your learning style because each style has a different way of thinking, therefore a different meaning of effectiveness; you all organize information differently!

Now Auditory learners would probably benefit best from an in-between setup. Meaning one that is neither too simple nor too complex for the job you need it to do. If you are an auditory learner here is how I would set up your binder/notebooks: (note these are only recommendations based on what I have seen):

Binder: You will probably want 2 binders per semester, about 2” - 2.5” each. In each binder you will carry 2 classes of handouts, notes, etc… (1 binder for your “morning” classes, and one for your “afternoon” classes. 

Dividers : You can do either of the following to maximize your binder space:

i)  2 Dividers. In front of the first one you’ll store your loose leaf papers or notebook(s). Behind the first one will be your first class, and behind the second divider will be your second class.

ii) 10 dividers. first five for the units in your first class, and the last five for the units in your second class; Both techniques work great!

Notebooks: You will probably benefit more from an audio recorder (if your teacher allows it!) or loose leaf paper than an actual notebook since you probably won’t do much writing. ALWAYS have paper at the VERY least!! 

A Kinaesthetic learner is perhaps the simplest learning type of all. You will need very minimal organization to keep you on track! Here is what I would suggest for your learning type:

Binder: one binder per semester, 2-3”. Your binder will carry all of your classes per semester. I would recommend a zipper type binder for this purpose because then you will not have to worry about losing pages in between your hands-on activities (which, let’s face it, most of you just toss them anywhere and then you end up losing very important notes, and then you tell your teacher you need the note again, and they will exasperatingly trudge to the photocopier to make you another copy).

Dividers: You will need 5 Dividers per semester. Behind the first one put your loose leaf paper, and behind the next 4 your classes in order of when they occur (this is more just for the purpose of finding your notes as you go from class to class)!

Notebooks: You will not benefit from a notebook. You will probably barely take any notes and you are more likely to lose your notebook than use it. Stick to loose leafs!

And that only leaves one learning style left: the Visual learner. The Visual learner is probably the most complex learner possible. They think in terms of effectiveness, and they love neatness and organization in every aspect of their life. Here is a quick guide to what you will most likely need to be successful:

Binder: Four binders, 1” - 1.5” each. One for each of your subjects, per semester.

Dividers: You can organize your dividers in several ways, and each is effective in their own ways. One way may work best for one class, while that same technique may not work for another class. I am a visual learner, so the way I organize my binders is as follows.

- 5 to 8 dividers per binder; behind the first divider I put things like labs/ lab notebook and exam/ test reviews. Behind the second divider I put all of my quizzes and tests for the semester, so that way when I am studying for the exam, I can use them as a guide to the information I didn’t quite understand. Behind the following dividers put the units as they occur.

- Organize the unit lessons and handouts in chronological order from newest to oldest. It’s a pain when you’re trying to look back for exam review, however for homework purposes this is the best, and most efficient way to organize your information.

Notebooks: You will definitely benefit from having a notebook! Either one for each class, or a 5 subject notebook - one for each class and then one miscellaneous or scrap section (I personally hate the 5 subject notebooks. Also avoid spiral notebooks! They are harder to write in (unless you only write on one side of the page)).

Folders: You will most definitely want to have at least one folder. I use my folders for projects that we have to work on for consecutive days (instead of pulling out my whole binder, I can just pull out the folder with everything I need in it). I would also suggest putting homework in there because if you have a heavy course load, you will not want to bring every single binder home, with every single textbook, every single night. This makes it more efficient.

Other: As a visual learner you will also benefit by doing the following: creating one table of contents per each unit per binder (I will post a template on our “Templates and Other Good Stuff” page), And put a table of contents in your notebook! That way when your teacher refers to a specific handout, or dates, you have it all recorded, and instead of flipping through everything to find what they are talking about, you can just highlight or put a star next to what they refer to.

_________________________________________________________

Now that we’ve covered binder/divider/notebook organization, there is a checklist I would like to present to you. These are things EVERY SINGLE STUDENT SHOULD HAVE! to be successful:

[ ] Appropriate binders/dividers/notebooks/folders for their needs.

[ ] Pens (in black, blue, and red+ other colours for diagrams and charts)- my favourite are the Bic Crystals because they never run out, and they never stop working, even when you forget to put the cap on!

[ ] Highlighters (multiple colours are always great!)

[ ] Roll-on white-out! (liquid is messy and takes forever to dry!)

[ ] Sticky Notes! (Great for posting reminders in your locker, and in your agenda!) - I would recommend buying some in all different sizes, and also use these when you’re doing a novel study to write down questions!! (I will have a seperate post about this later).

[ ] Lined, Printer, and Graph paper! (always best to be prepared!)

[ ] A USB Key (For school work both inside and outside of school!)

[ ]  Geometry kit (always helpful! Those little triangles are great to trace in math instead of measuring out a decent triangle each time!!)

[ ] Pencil Crayons/Markers/Crayons or all 3! (Never know when there will be a diagram or map to colour)

[ ] soft pencil cases with a zipper! (they are easier to store and don’t make as much noise!)

Throughout the semester you’re going to find the following materials beneficial to have at hand!:

[ ] Bristol Board (they make you do more posters than elementary school!!)

[ ] Construction Paper

[ ] Glue Sticks! (At least a dozen… seriously.) - Go to Costco and stock up!

[ ] Stick on foam/wood/sticker letters! (way easier than writing everything out all the time!)

[ ] Glitter glue pens! (To add a “wow” factor every time!) 

[ ] Stickers, feathers, popsicle sticks, pipe cleaners, etc… (always a nice touch to a finished product!) **Dollar stores have the best stickers usually!!**

[ ] Presentation folders! (to hand in papers, and essays!) **Make sure they arent bulky! Your teacher will not appreciate bulk!**

[ ] Clipboard with a hard cover! (never know when it will come in handy! Hall work? Lectures?)

[ ] Page Protectors (great for title pages or presentations that are multiple pages!) - Again the Dollar Store will be your best friend for these :)

I know this sounds a little costly, but it will be HUGELY helpful, and it will show in your grades!! 

_________________________________________________________

And I think that just about covers my back to school checklist! If there is anything I left out, or anything you would like help with be sure to let me know!

-WildchildM