How to Organize Your Workspace

How+to+Organize+Your+Workspace

Pamina Yung, Staff Writer

Students are starting off this school year learning from home, rendering backpacks unnecessary. To conform to social distancing and remote education, AHS pupils will be attending their Google Meet or Zoom classes from their desks at home. Arranging your workspace into an efficient, neat, and undistracting setup is paramount to staying on top of your schoolwork. This article will cover various tips and methods for creating an excellent scholarly environment that will keep you focused and encouraged to work.

Maintaining a polished and orderly desk requires minimal clutter. Get rid of all shenanigans that will undoubtedly be distractions during class. If you have big bulky binders, put them away on a separate table or on the ground beside your desk. Cleaning your desk is easy, but keeping it neat is the hard part. Don’t let any trash sit on your desk. Throwing it out right away will prevent dangerous buildups of garbage. 

“I’m able to maintain my desk by having only school supplies and nothing else but pencils, paper, books, etc.,” said junior Misha Hsueh. “I don’t really have trouble with getting distracted. I keep everything in drawers, so if I were really to get distracted, I would have to dig through my drawers to find something.”

Desk props may also help keep your area organized. Pencil cups are great for providing quick access to your writing apparatus and will save time rummaging around for something to write with. If your desk real estate is quite limited, try adding a wall rack or some low shelves for smaller items.

If your desk happens to have drawers like mine does, designate each one for different materials, such as textbooks, paper, writing tools, etc. But be sure to eliminate extraneous objects you’re sure you won’t be using for anything related to school. Desktop drawer containers can also help you catalog your stationery and other gadgets. A rule I always try to follow when storing things in my desk is to never have my drawer completely filled up. Always leave about a quarter of it empty so that when you feel really lazy and don’t want to put something away properly, you can just shove it inside your desk, and it won’t pile up too fast. Having your drawer somewhat cleared out also makes it a lot easier to open and close. 

Sophomore Erica Futaba keeps her Chromebook at the center back of her working table with her mouse and mousepad to the bottom right. “I organize my writing stationery into multiple pencil cups and put my highlighters inside the drawer of my desk,” said Erica. “I have a container for lip balm and lip gloss for them to be easily accessible.” To prevent getting sidetracked during class, she puts her phone out of reach on her bed.

If you find your desk looks plain and boring, you can totally spruce it up. A few modest decorations might help keep you motivated and liven up your station. If you’re chasing a certain aesthetic, add some fairy lights, a cool lamp, or a poster. Head to Pinterest for some decoration inspiration. But embellish with moderation to avoid a muddle of trinkets that could actually hinder your working process. Remember that less is more when it comes to ornamenting your desk.

Different people work best in different environments, but a relatively cleared surface and only your necessities nearby will help anybody stay on track. 

 

Graphic courtesy of ZENEFITS.COM