How can I stay organized in College? I'm scared!
 

So I've never been too good with keeping up with notes or hand outs in high school. College is approaching fast and I'm getting very scared. What are some ways that I can stay organized?

I'm guessing that there will be several things to keep up with .

1. Syllibus of classes
2. Handouts from classes
3. Lecture notes
4. Book notes

I will be taking - Biology, Biology Lab, College Algebra, Principles of Nutrition, and Individuals in Society (sociology class)

How can I keep up with all of these notes?

I've found several methods suggested. Which ones will work for me?

1. One big three ring binder for everything with tabs to seperate classes.
2. A small binder for each class.
3. Use notebooks for each class.
4. Use both a binder and notebook. Get a file folder and store it in an accordian file or a multi-pocket folder.Words of advice would be greatly appericiated!

When I was in University I used small hardcover notebooks for all my notes and syllabi... The thing is, I didn't have all that many handouts to keep track of...

In first year I had some spiral 8.5/11 note books that had a pocket in the front in which I kept all the class handouts...


Taking notes is very important... just try not to write down everything... focus on key points.

Good luck...

Should I get a notebook to take notes in for all the classes? If so, should I get the kind that I can tear out easily with the three holes in place so that I can put them into a binder? Or should I get a notebook that won't allow pages to be torn out? Orrrr should I use notebook paper?

Hmmm...can't tell you that. I can tell you what worked for me, and that was a spiral bound notebook and a pocket folder for every class. That may not work for you though. You're going to have to figure out what works for you by simple trial and error. You'll find your system soon enough. Oh...and good luck, by the way. :thumbsup:

What works for some, don't for others. Like said before, trial and error.

I used spirals for every class, and a folder for each. Just try to keep each class seperate, that's all you need to do.

When using a spiral, how did you manage to add in the notes that you missed?

just use standard 8.5x11 lined paper with pre-punched holes. have one big binder that has dividers; this will be your archive of notes for (almost) everything.

keep one small binder that you will take with you to school that has blank paper. write your notes in there. at the end of the day, when you are reviewing your notes, put the pages of the day into the proper section of your big binder.

lastly, keep any lab notes you make separate from your class notes. either keep them in a different section of your big binder, or have another bind called Lab Notes, separated into sections for each class that has a lab component.

buy a 3-ring holepunch for class handouts, and most of all, take a deep breath and relax. you will be fine.

oh, one more thing. when you are taking notes, leave plenty of space (just experiment with what works for you for the first few weeks). the space allows you to add extra notes later if you think of something important during review say. also, for the same reason, keep your margins clean when first taking notes, and add your personal comments to them later if you need to.

holy wow u r way too worried me thinks over nothing lol

wut i did (and still do) is have a notebook for each class. The ones with a couple pocket sheets in the front (five star, for example).


I guess if u r a skipper and worried about getting notes that u missed from friends, etc, is to get the type of notebook that has the perforated pages and the 3 binder ring holes in them (again, five star lol). Then you would really only need to carry one notebook with you.

Go to classes, take notes in whatever order you feel like, go back home and rip them out then separate them into binder(s).

here's my $1.50

I used one big notebook for all classes - one of those notebooks with dividers and pockets in the dividers. Keep the syllabus in the divider. If handouts get too numerous to fit, then get a separate folder to put the old ones in.

For missed classes, the answer is simple: don't miss any. Really. COllege is the best opportunity of your life to learn about things that really interest you (or even that don't really interest you). Why would you want to miss any of it??

That was my undergrad method.

My grad school method (law school) was only a little different.

I kept my notes on 3 ring paper, but still just used one big binder for all my classes. Handouts dealt with as above.

Of course, part of law school is making outlines based on the materials you learn in class, so your notes are useless once they've been added to the outline.

I go with one skinny notebook for each class. I also have a pocket folder for the handouts.

Yup.

But that said, you'll figure out what works best for you once you get there. Its been said many times : trial and error!

my advice to you is (if time allows).

Use a 8.5x11 spiral notebook in class to write your notes. Then, when you get home, re-write them out on 3 hole paper, and keep them in a binder, maybe 2 classes per binder would be best. Organzie which 2 per binder, to co-ordinate with what classes you have together on which days, so you can keep the binders you need at school.

This helps not only with organization, but you will remember the material from class much better if its reviewed directly after the initial lecture.

I always go with one smaller three ring binder for each class and a folder to put any handouts or graded work into. I just buy a huge stack of looseleaf paper at the start and fill up both pages with notes from either the reading or the class lectures. It's also very handy to date your notes so you know when you were talking about certain things and also you should write the main topic or point of the lecture at the start. I can't tell you how many times I've gone back and looked at things and had no idea what the general theme was.

Also, once you decide your major (sounds like bio?) keep your notes at the end of the year. Put them in a big binder and organize that all by class, you'll be surprised how often you'll go back to it.

Yes note taking is essential in college. There are some student workshops where you can learn how to properly take notes. I've been meaning to take those courses but I never can pull my ass our of the arcade.

I always used seperate umm not sure what there called. basially kind of like binders, except the have the thing that holds the paper at the top, then used binders for the notes that were completed, with a 3 hole punch of any handouts.
but ultimetly, you needto figure out what works for you.

A desk calender, planner, or something similar is highly recommended.

I tried a lot of different things, and here's what ended up working for me: A small three ring binder for each class, and a large "central" binder.

Regular notebook paper goes in each small binder, which ideally has pouches to hold syllabi and other handouts. I would take the appropriate small binders with me according to my class schedule, then use those to take notes. When reviewing my notes, I would type them up, save a copy, and print out a hard copy, which went into the "central" binder. Copies of the all syllabi and handouts would go into the central binder as well.

This worked really well for me because I lose stuff all the time. If I lost a class notebook, my notes and handouts were all in the central binder, which did not leave it's space on the shelf unless I was updating it or studying for finals. Entering my notes into the computer helped me memorize many of the notes as I was typing them, as well as allowing me to alter, elaborate, or structure the notes as needed. If someone needs to borrow notes from you, you can just e-mail them instead of lending notes that you're probably not going to get back.

Biology lab probably isn't going to have many notes. I think in most cases you have to buy a lab notebook that you work out of. I have taken many, many Sociology classes, and most of them weren't too "note-intensive." My classes were more along the lines of "read this book and we'll talk about it in class." That said, it's good to start on the right foot. Bad study habits can be extremely hard to break.

Sometimes I take notes but I never read them afterwards. I used to not really do anything until I started going out with my girlfriend and she was all trying and stuff so I didn't want her to feel bad that I wasn't and still doing better, so I pretended to try some.

The 25 cent notebooks from walmart, 70 pages. I like the 25 cent folders too. The stiff paper, cardstock like ones. The cheap plastic ones are no good. Most important part is to match the color of your notebook to your folder.

MOST important thing is a clip board! Clip boards make taking notes fun cause you get to clip stuff and unclip it as you turn pages and stuff. And you can put handouts and tests in the clipboard while you work on them. Boy is it fun.

Now I just bought this new clip board thingy that has space inside it to keep papers. I don't know how interesting this will be, but it seems like it will be QUITE fun!

...I'm being somewhat sarcastic here but it's all true. Paying attention in class is hard work with wireless internet. Uh... Read the books on the can. That way you are sure to read them! Sometimes you don't poo enough and you gotta read off the can. Those are sad times.

Nonsense. Notes are for suckers.

Well, I'm an engineer, so we probably learn like 3 things and then have to use our brains to apply them to hundreds of situations. So there's not a lot of notes, but there is! You just don't use them. Unless of course the homework problem is exactly like the notes you took. That happens usually on purpose. So it will happen in one course and not the other, not just by chance throughout a course.

Also use a small Daytimer Book to arrange which days projects are due and plan time PRIOR to dates for actual study time. Some people need to write notes & others can just read through the text once maybe twice. Use a highlighter in your text book when you read the lesson. Find out if you are the type that needs to review the notes after you've written them. Sometimes just writing lots of notes is just busy "work" and you aren't really absorbing the information. It never hurts to ask a trusted teacher to give you their pointers. Stick with it, you've got the desire to do well !

IMHO - Too many notebooks is not time effective. One big divided one.
And a yellow or whatever highlighter.