A level organisation

Hi,

I’m in year 13 and I go for the one giant lever arch folder - which admittedly doesn’t fit in my bag. But as it’s just one folder I can carry it easy enough. It varies between subjects but once I’ve finished a topic (or when it gets full/ too heavy cause I’m too lazy to empty it!) I take the finished bits out and put them into some lever arch folders that stay at home with each folder separated and organised. Having one folder means I pretty much never forget it, it also means I can have a sheet of paper stuck in it as a mini planner for jotting down homework as well as having a timetable stuck to the front to save me getting my planner out between lessons. (I’m quite lazy as you may have guessed!)

Hope that helps a bit.

thank u I may attempt this!! do you write notes straight into your binder or on a pad of loose leaf paper?

I have strange paper habits, I have a pack of good paper for writing notes and for most subjects which I put in as soon as I’ve finished the lesson then a pack of cheap paper for maths. Cause I’m not wasting 90gsm paper for the endless amount of questions!

I would suggest that you put paper in your main folder as soon as it’s used as otherwise it’s really easy for it to get separated from the rest of the topic.

I just got a locker.

However if that’s not an option you could create a revision map of the topics you have done so you can still refer back to them and take one folder in.

If not that, write everything up on word maybe and keep your work on a memory stick instead. That’s what I did in my first year of college. It made life a lot more easier plus at the end of the day you have a digital copy of everything

Hope it helps!

Hello I'm having a few problems with how heavy my college bag is and I would like some advice!

I'm studying psychology, politics and statistics and currently have a binder for each lesson.

My first problem is that some of my binders like my statistics binder has barely anything in but my psychology binder is bursting and I feel like it's a waste of space.

Secondly I think I would like to try using a day binder and putting my things in a lever arch at home but my teacher such as psychology and politics randomly reference back to work that I wouldn't have with me... but they also make us bring stuff that we don't reference at all!

I was wondering what's the best organisation system, maybe with just a single big binder, and how to actually know what to bring to lessons.

Thanks in advance!

I’m using a day ringbinder folder that has dividers for each subject & it seems to be working well so far (in year 12). I file my work into my lever arch files at home on a Friday, and if there’s work that I think I’ll need to refer to the following week then I leave it in there.

Do you find it gets full very easily as my teachers love giving us giant booklets to bring to every lesson?

I'm in 6th form and just carry round 1 ring binder, with lever arch files for each subject at home. If you're worried about needing work you've left at home, there are some refill pad brands that will allow you to scan each page and save it to and app on your phone. Alternatively, you could scan papers yourself when you get home and save it to a USB drive or laptop if you bring one.
Hope this helps

I've seen those papers and that's a good idea!!!

I have strange paper habits, I have a pack of good paper for writing notes and for most subjects which I put in as soon as I’ve finished the lesson then a pack of cheap paper for maths. Cause I’m not wasting 90gsm paper for the endless amount of questions!

I would suggest that you put paper in your main folder as soon as it’s used as otherwise it’s really easy for it to get separated from the rest of the topic.

Hi, how do you organise for maths? Like polypocket each topic? (E.g. polynomials)

I know I waste so much paper on statistics questions!!!! I was thinking I'd break off about 50 pages from my big pad of 400 pages so I don't have to lug that around and just take notes on my desk with binder on floor! 🤔

As I’m doing further maths we go through about a topic a week and I did not own enough polypockets to even consider that idea. I’m still old spec so my only main form of separation in my carry to school folder is teacher and then by date. So latest stuff at the back. Once it gets into my home folder it’s separated by paper but that’s it. Mostly though once stuff was home i haven’t referred back to it unless I got really stuck.

Ok because I’m doing the new spec where there’s just pure and applied but the teachers will swap what they’re teaching because one does stats then pure and the other does pure then mechanics

The main thing there is just to keep things separated by which exam it is then. I’d say.

Forgot to mention that. Yep don’t lug 400 pages. It’s heavy.
One warning if you put the folder on the floor do so carefully I broke a folder doing that. Not so fun - led to half the folder falling out.