08 Sep 2015

Spring has well and truly sprung and exams are coming up, so there’s no better time to revitalise your room and overhaul your organisation.

You definitely want to go into Year 12 exams with a clear mind, and the first step to that is having a good tidy space to work in. As well as making your room look nice, decluttering will make you happier, calmer and help you to de-stress, and stop you from tripping over four pairs of sneakers every time you try and open your door (literally everyday… I don’t learn).

Plus, tidying makes you feel like you’re really nailing this whole life thing, so follow these five steps to kickstart your spring clean and you’ll be organised and ready to go in no time.

1. Get in the zone

You know how you were going to spend this Saturday lazing around all day in your trakky daks? Not anymore. Put your music on as loud as you need it and get serious. Be ruthless! Throw out anything you haven’t used in a few months and definitely get rid of that stack of birthday cards from when you turned 14–what are you ever going to do with those?

2. Make piles

Hop on down to the kitchen, reach into that bag you have that’s filled with other bags (everyone’s got them) and grab five: one for stuff you’re keeping, one for donating and one for the maybes. You’ll also need one for recycling, and one for rubbish. There will be so much rubbish. Trust me.

The ‘maybe’ pile is a tricky one, because you feel attached to the stuff you put in it but the truth is you probably don’t need it. Leave it till last, then ask your family and friends if they want any of the things from it. However, if you’re feeling particularly merciless, you won’t even need this pile at all. 

3. Sectionalise

Spend time dedicated to each section of your room, for example your wardrobe, your bookshelves, your bedside table, and your desk. You’ll probably find something you thought you lost in Year 8 and spend the rest of the day reminiscing, so when you realise you’ve been doing nothing for hours, you can finish up in that section and do the remaining ones in the morning, without leaving even more mess than you started with.

4. File

Colour coded folders are not only super fun but also very practical for keeping everything organised. Sort through all your school stuff and separate it by subject, and then within your folders, use tabs to create sections for each topic. Store them near your desk for easy access, and don’t forget to label them. 

5. Decorate

Once your space is tidy, it’s time for a facelift. Put up posters, change the ones you have, tack some inspiration to your walls. Head to your favourite stationery shop and stock up on the notebooks and desk accessories. Making everything look nice will make you want to keep it tidy, as well as help motivate you to study.