Summary: I love learning. I think we are so lucky to have the opportunity to learn whatever it is we want to learn more about – whether that’s through informal learning (like reading or watching documentaries) or formal learning (by attending a workshop, school or university). The more ‘serious’ your studies get the more important it is to have an organised space to work in. So what does that look like? Have separate zones in your office for each subject you are studying. You can separate all of your course notes, study schedule, etc with magazine holders, folders or on shelves – whatever works for you. Keep your course notes away from the working space on your desk. Your desk is ‘prime real estate’ for when you’re working – so keep everything else you don’t need in their appropriate zone and bring them to your desk when you need them. Factor in your personal/home paperwork when you are creating your zones. If need be create a separate zone for these papers and keep them completely separate from your study papers. If you are studying a higher level degree (eg Masters or PhD) and therefore have a lot of research documents on the go, create subcategories for each area you are researching and store them in their relevant zone. Create a study schedule which you can easily see from your working zone. This schedule should include class times, allocated study times and assignment due dates. Tidy your desk after each study session and return all items to their relevant zone. Have a small supply of stationery close by on your desk and store the rest in drawers/cupboards out of the way. These processes relate to physical paperwork but they’re just as relevant to your electronic files. Once you’ve set up your zones, the key to successful study is to be disciplined. If you set up simple systems and processes at the beginning of the semester that work for you, you will be less frustrated and more likely to succeed. Until next time, happy organising!
