Stationery/folders for college?

I'll be starting college in September and will be taking: Maths, Biology, Psychology, and either physics/chemistry.

I'm debating between quite a few organisation methods and was hoping I could be on advised which will probably work best.

1) ring binder and refill pad for each class (cons being I'll have to carry a lot, the ring binders will fill quickly, and they're not very strong)
2) the same as above, except have a lever arch binder at home to transfer work into (cons being I'll still have the same issues as above, plus I might need to refer back to old work)
3) one lever arch binder for all classes to share and a refill pad for each class (cons being the lever arch will be hectic and very full)
4) lever arch per class, with loose paper inside (cons being my bag will be very heavy)

Obviously I'm open to other suggestions as well, being organised is what helps me pass so I need to find the most effective method.

Thank you.

Definitely Option 2 - it worked for me this year. However, as I was going along I made cue cards summarising what I did in lesson and kept them in the front of the folders I took to college in case I needed the info. Only transfer the work after you've done one topic eg. cognitive psychology, then you're less likely to need your older notes.

Hope this helps!

If it helps at all, I'm thinking of going with option 2. Yes you'll have a bit of weight to carry around, but it seems this is what you have to do regardless of which option you go with. I think having just one lever arch binder for all classes could mean your work gets a bit disorganised and then you could lose stuff.... not really what you want.

Maybe wait until you start college to see what they recommend and/or most people there do?

I've got an old ring binder at home so I might just take that and a notebook in. Hopefully my college will have lockers!

They should do. Good luck with college

Do you think it will be too much to carry round 4 ring binders?

It wasn't for me, I bought small 2cm wide ones

Personally, I have 4 ring binders that I take to college with me and then lever arch files at home, but the ring binders I take to college have a spine of only like, 2.2cm* and are made of bendy plastic, so I can easily fit them all into my bag. Think these are them [x]. I keep the last couple week's work for each subject in them, as well as formula sheets etc., and then my lever arch files are all organised by topic with dividers and stuff.
But my college doesn't have lockers. If it did, I might do something different instead.
Good luck with everything



*yes, I did just go measure my ring binder for you.

I'm planning on getting a pretty big bag anyway incase I have to also carry textbooks, did you also have a notepad for each class or a joint one?
I'm relying on the fact that they have lockers, although I doubt they do!

Did you have a lever arch for each class, or just one for all of them?

I had one* notebook with holes already punched and rip-out-able paper [x] and then moved my work to my folders whenever I had a few minutes, though most people just used refill pads. I preferred the notebook because after a few weeks at the bottom of your bag the paper from a refill pad isn't particularly presentable anymore and the fact that the notebook was plastic meant that if I spilt anything in my bag my work survived (I also covered all my textbooks in stickyback plastic for the same reason). Though it is worth noting that it's wayyy cheaper to buy paper in a refill pad, so in general, it probably is better: in subjects like maths, you can easily go through 5+ sheets per lesson.

Ugh, yeah, I also had to carry textbooks as well as folders. No clue how people who walk to college survive... In general though, unless you're doing a particularly indie subject, the largest textbooks are A4 so the bag is to fit the folders, not the books. Though do make sure the straps are sturdy enough for textbooks - I initially went to college with a cute bag I found at a street market and after a couple of weeks one of the straps broke .

*needed a new one every 3-4 weeks or so, but I only carried one around with me.

I had 3 small 2m folders and 3 arch lever folders - I did the same subjects as you and soon found that only having 1 arch lever wasn't enough. I didn't have a folder for maths though - I had 2 exercise books (one for notes/examples, one for questions)

FWIW, I just carried a pad of lined paper with me, and did work for all my modules in that. When it filled up, I'd leave that one at home and start a new one. Pros - Wasn't heavy, cons - Pretty much useless if you ever plan on looking back over your notes.

I just use a lever arch folder for each of my subjects, putting work into polypropylene pockets (multiple sheets per pocket where appropriate [e.g. from same lesson]).