With school supply sales drawing in the crowds and the stress you feel while looking at your list of AP classes, not knowing what you want to buy for the coming school year can bring unnecessary anxieties.   Different styles of organization can help different styles of people, and through my years in high school, I have seen friends find success using a variety of organization methods.  Here’s a look at some.

Binders

A classic many students have used since elementary school. Whether it’s several binders holding a few classes each or one binder that can hold your papers for every class, a binder system keeps everything well organized. They can hold pages on their rings so that they won’t slip out and get ruined and crushed, but also have the ease of access that a brad folder doesn’t.

Binders are good for AP classes that require you to keep track of a lot of papers, especially when you can leave the binder at home, and only bring a folder full of the most recent information that you know you’ll need for class each day.

They’re also a good way to organize a lighter class load, if you can fit all of your classes into one large binder, it will ensure you have everything safe in one spot.

“A folder can get unorganized when you are given a lot of papers,” senior Abby Hughey said.  “When you utilize binders you can also employ dividers to ensure that you have everything you need for every test and quiz where you need it.”

Folders

Folders are a very popular method of organization, because it is an easy and quick way to find and have each class’s material on hand. It keeps the weight of your backpack to a minimum but doesn’t offer much to help you stay organized.

Folders are a good option for people who are naturally organized. It’s a good way to organize course material for classes that don’t require you to bring much to class every day.

“I like using folders because you go to a class you can just pull out that folder,” senior Taylor Browning said.  “It’s easy and I don’t like having to look through a binder to find each class.”

Accordion

The accordion folder is the often overlooked combination of a binder and folder. It keeps everything together in one place but easily separates each class. For someone looking for the stability of a binder but the slimmer qualities of folders, the accordion is a great combination. It makes it easy to keep everything in the same place but in small quantities.

An accordion style binder is good for several classes that only require a small amount of class work to be brought to class every day.

Although one of these three organizational styles may works great for one person, remember that some teachers prefer a specific kind of organization for their class. Many teachers will give specific binder instructions and may take ‘binder checks’ for a grade.  Other teachers may ask for students to use a specific color folder to keep all of your class work in. Whatever the choice, make sure that you find something that works for you.