The way you organize your desk could make or break your academic life. It sounds dramatic, but your work area is your academic temple, and could foster either a successful or unsuccessful semester. The way you organize your desk will affect the way you think, how you concentrate, your ability to meet deadlines, whether or not you turn in assignments, and how well you handle your work load in general. Think about it. Your desk is the place where you churn all your intellectual energy. If it's not a clean, comfortable and serene place, fit for hard work and long-term concentration, then you could probably use a desk clean-up. Here are some tips on how you can better manage your work space.
Priorities
Go through all your work supplies and tools. What do you use the most? If it helps, you can make a list of all your items and rank them by importance. Your top 10 items should be placed in a drawer that is closest to you when you sit down. This allows you easier and quicker access to your things and will save you time when you're crunching to meet a deadline. Everything else on your list can be spaced out evenly and kept further away from the center of your desk. It is important to keep away things that you only use occasionally. Having unnecessary items around you can be distracting. When prioritizing your supplies, you should keep in mind that you will always need quick access to paper, pens, and your computer. These things should remain closest to you, or should be kept close to the center of your desk. Other things such as tape, thumb tacks and rulers aren't used quite as often and can be placed in a small side drawer or box away from the center of your desk. Consider cre ating a place or a way to organize important documents. A file cabinet is great for organizing folders and important papers. You can turn one of your drawers into a mini file cabinet and alphabetize your documents. However you choose to do this, your important documents should always be easy to access.
The Importance of Clear Space
The most important place on a desk is the center surface. The surface of your desk is your battleground. If you have a lot of clutter near the center of your desk, you are creating unnecessary distractions. The center surface of your desk is where you do your actual work. This space should be clear so you can think and work freely and clearly. Only keep things in the center that you are actually using for a certain project or assignment. For example, if you are writing an essay, the only things that should be on your desk at the time should be your computer and your information resources. Otherwise, keep your actual work space clear. When the center surface of your desk is always clear, you will feel more neat and organized in your head. It's like having a clean slate. A clean slate means a clear mind, and a clear mind produces better work.
Accessibility
You should never have to spend time searching for something. It's a great idea to label your drawers, containers and folders so that you always know where everything is located. Make sure you alphabetize your books and important documents. Label the drawer where you keep fresh paper, and keep your miscellaneous desk supplies all together. If you have to label every single container and drawer, do it. It will save you so much time when you are stressed out over projects and the last you need is to be shuffling around endlessly trying to find a silly little pen.
Lighting
For some reason, a bright desk is usually a more pleasant place to work. Not only will proper lighting keep your desk more organized, it is necessary for long-term concentration. Invest in a desk lamp. It is not enough to have an overhead light in your dorm room. You need concentrated, direct lighting. This will help you stay focused. When you have good lighting with your desk, your desk will also tend to stay more organized because everything is super visible. A desk light will also come in handy for all-nighters when you can't use an overhead light without waking up your roommate. You can also try to place your desk in front of a window. This will do wonders for your work atmosphere, especially when you work during the day and have the sun's natural light to energize your brain.
Desk Aids
When it comes to desk supplies, it's important to make sure you have enough folders, containers, labels, space dividers, and a calendar. These things all help you organize your desk on a daily basis. The folders will help with properly organizing your documents, containers keep small supplies from cluttering space, space dividers organize the inside of your drawers, and a calendar is useful for many obvious reasons such as keeping track of deadlines. You may also want to consider getting a cork board and hanging it near or in front of your desk. With cork boards, you can place notes and other important reminders right in front of your eyes.
Clean Up After Yourself
The best way to maintain an organized and proper work space is to keep up with your daily cleaning. Whenever you leave your desk or complete a project, you should always make sure to put everything away. Again, try to keep the center surface of your desk clear when it is not in use. Put away your important documents, return pens to their proper containers, and throw away scraps of used paper. If you take small steps to clean up your desk everyday, you will never have to deal with an overhaul, and academic life in general will be much easier.
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