How to start up your spring cleaning

As college students, we are often busy with our academics and extracurricular activities. Spring has arrived and life is a mess, but now it’s time to organize the chaos a little bit in preparation for the coming weeks. Here are some tips to help you get started:

1. Start simple and empty out your backpack. You might be surprised at what you find in there. Over the course of the semester, your backpack tends to become a portable Bermuda Triangle. Items lost into the abyss are easily forgotten. Throw out unnecessary miscellaneous stuff like wrappers, that research essay from a few years ago, and whatever other junk you may find in there. It is important to stay organized with finals approaching in just a few short weeks. 

You don’t want to reach into your backpack searching for a pencil and instead touch old gum. Make sure that you have a separate area for utensils, your binders or notebooks, and your school papers. I realize we are students who don’t always have time for organization, but it’s important to check in on the chaos once in a while. If you’re the type of person to forget what’s in your bag, this tip is for you. 

2. Be sure to check under your bed for any remaining lost items. We often forget what’s under our bed after a while. You know that shirt you’ve been looking for? It’s probably under your bed. If you’ve lived without an item for more than six weeks, then you probably don’t need it anymore. If you want to make extra cash, consider holding a Facebook sale or something similar using the personal sale app Letgo.

3. Your computer often gets cluttered with old assignments that you’ve already submitted at this point in the semester. If you’ve already received a grade for the assignments, then you don’t need them anymore. Delete unnecessary documents to restore storage space and keep organized. You don’t want to accidentally submit the wrong document to your professor because you forgot to delete it. 

4. Around this time of year, your car is probably cluttered with random items you’ve misplaced. Clear out your trunk and put away your shovels; you won’t need them anymore (we hope, this is Edinboro after all). Check your car for spare change that might have gone missing in the seat cushions or on the floor. Collect it, take it to the bank and trade it in for dollar bills. You might have more money than you realize. 

5. In all the stress and chaos following spring break, it’s important to take time out for yourself to clear your mind. Mental breaks are just as important, if not more so, than physical ones. Take time out for yourself to destress and do something cathartic. Put studying aside for a few minutes to meet up with friends you haven’t seen a while.  You could attend some campus events, such as Pause and Paws to play with some therapy dogs. 

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