Spring Cleaning: 3 Ways to Reorganize Your Life

By Sarah Butcher on January 19, 2013

Starting a new school semester always gets me in the cleaning mood. For some reason a heap of new classes makes me feel like I should get new everything, whether it’s clothes, calendars, journals, shoes, or even food. One thing you’ll notice living on campus is that 80% of people also believe in this same philosophy. Spring semester means resolutions. I’ve already heard plenty:

  • I WILL work out every day
  • I WILL eat healthy
  • I WILL get a job
  • I WILL study more

The list goes on and on, but more than likely most of these New Years resolutions will fall to pieces by the end of the first week. Instead of making new resolutions, how about simply tweaking the way you already live into a more productive and manageable format? As a graduating senior at Florida State University, I’ve learned a great deal about managing a small space with even smaller funds. From sharing a room in a Residence Hall to sharing an apartment (and fridge) with three lovely ladies, I’ve come up with a few tricks that I’ve passed on to my underclassmen friends.

Photo by perspicacius via Flickr.com

1. Clothes — Out with the Old!
Living away from home will teach you an essential fact — closets are small. So what’s the solution? One nifty trick that I learned on Pinterest was to get rid of some of your clothing. For some of you, this might sound easy. For others, it’s like a knife to the heart. I relate more with the latter. Try this technique: turn all of your hangers backwards. Throughout the year switch the hangers of the clothes that you wear as you put them back in the closet. At the end of six months (or a year for those of you who dress seasonally) take all the clothes on the still-backwards-hangers and get rid of them. I promise if you haven’t worn them in the past 365 days, then you won’t ever. Give them to your friends, make some cash by selling them to Plato’s Closet, or donate them to Goodwill.

Look on the bright side, getting rid of old clothes leave you space for new clothes! Just make sure you keep rotating out the clothes you don’t wear. Your closet will be a closet and not a storage space.

 2. Space Efficiency — Tacks and Tack Boards!
When it comes to organizing, keep to this simple principle: Organize up, not out. If you live on or near campus, then you know that you have a small living space. So, since you don’t have much room horizontally, start stashing things vertically. Spring semester is when I get all my scarves out, but since I’ve also taken out all my winter coats and they are selfishly hogging all the closet room, I have to get creative. A few giant, colorful tacks later and I’ve got plenty of hooks to toss my scarves on for easy access and some seasonal wall decorations.

This same principle can be used for other accessories hanging about in your room. For me, this happens with necklaces and bracelets (ties and belts for you gentlemen). You can essentially stick anything up on the wall with thumb tacks and create a more livable space for yourself. A cleverly placed tack board will also provide you with ample space to pin important documents that you have lying about the room. Plus, they’re cheap!

Photo by mpclemens via Flickr.com

3. School Schedule — Papers, Tests, and Quizzes!
There are two types of people in this world, those who plan everything (myself) and those who have an allergic reaction to the very presence of a calendar (my best friend). If you’re already a planner, then you know the benefit of arranging your life beforehand. If you’re not, then bear with me for a moment.

The first week of classes is critical. Not just because it’s the only time every teacher will be taking attendance, but also because it’s the moment when you receive this lovely piece of paper that tells you when all of your assignments for the next four months are due (aka your syllabus). Take some advice from someone who has managed a full course load and three jobs in the same semester and write them down. Find a calendar, whether it’s a dry erase board, an app, or the free agendas that FSU hands out. Take an afternoon to write out when each assignment, test, paper, quiz, article, project, presentation, speech, final, experiment, whatever is due.

When you finish, put each month’s due dates somewhere that you’ll see them. By doing this you’ll not only know when to start working on (insert task here) but you’ll also know what days you’ll be free to spend time with friends. Having your schedule pre-planned gives you the opportunity to start working on a project earlier so that you can attend the events you want to later on in the week.

While others are making resolutions to completely change their lives, start making changes that resolve your way of life.

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