A Guide to Backpack Organization

| By Tara Shekouri |

With school slowly approaching, it is essential to maintain a clean and organized bag for a smooth and stress-free experience throughout the year. A well-organized backpack is one of the fundamentals of being prepared for your classes every day. By following the steps below, you can guarantee a tidy and clutter-free backpack all year round.

1. Select the right backpack

Realizing that one's backpack has become a place where supplies and items are hastily shoved in due to a lack of space is undesirable. Brainstorm all the articles you see yourself carrying in your bag during the school year, and ensure it has enough capacity for them—preferably some extra as well. It is helpful to choose one that has multiple compartments in order to keep different categories of items separated (such as your food divided from your binders). 

2. Designate compartments

Assign particular compartments to make sure that there is no mix-up or confusion. This could lead to inadvertently putting something where it may be inconvenient to search for later on, causing a messy backpack. Furthermore, keep your laptop/tablet tucked away in a padded section for additional protection.

3. Pack only necessities

Carrying unnecessary items may lead to clutter in your backpack. To ensure that you are maintaining a clean bag, do thorough check-ins weekly in order to repack, reorganize, or discard of some items if needed. If uncertain about whether something is a necessity, these check-ins will allow you to spot articles you find you are not using.

4. Keep loose papers organized

Often, at the end of class, we may find ourselves with a few worksheets, for example, on our desk that we need to store for later use. Keeping these papers organized in labelled binders and folders as you pack them will ensure not only that your backpack will remain organized, but that the papers won’t be damaged or even lost.

5. Establish a daily routine

It is important to dedicate some time daily to preparing your backpack and ensuring that everything is in check. Before going to bed, ensure that you have all of your materials organized/prepped for the following day. Doing so can prevent delays or inconvenience in the morning in case something was left on your desk, placed in the wrong folder on accident, etc.