Career Prep: Workspace Organization Is Important

Published January 5, 2024

Keeping A Clean And Organized Workspace Is Essential For Student Clarity And Focus

By Paola Rodriguez, Student Advisor

As an online student, my workspace can vary greatly by arrangement and even location. It can range from my favorite local coffee shop to the spare desk in my dad’s office. Wherever that workspace may be, what’s important about it is that it is conducive to getting the day’s assignments done. And, when it comes to my student workspace, I always make sure of one thing… to keep the space itself organized!

I find that having an organized study area helps me to thrive. It’s easier to collect my thoughts and manage the tasks at hand. Now, you might be thinking, “My workspace is far from organized and I’m doing just fine.” Well, I have a challenge for you… organize your desk, or whichever area you’re using to work, and see the difference for yourself. I guarantee you’ll see your natural procrastination level decrease, because there’s nothing to distract you, and you will have a way easier time getting into a clear state of mind to get to work.

If you’re worried about not having fancy folders or filing drawers to keep materials organized within your workspace, don’t feel limited! All you need is a clean and clear space, somewhere to collect your thoughts, do your actual work, and get (and keep) your brain going!

Now, let’s talk about some of the benefits of staying organized, as a student, whether you attend classes online or in person. When I first started online school, I was super organized, and I always had everything intact. As time went on, it became something I cared less and less about, but my workspace never felt right as the situation devolved. There would be hair ties and books and a million things unrelated to school that would distract me all over my desk. One day, I was sitting in in front of my computer screen, procrastinating about a paper, and I thought to myself “Let’s get organized.” So, I gathered everything that was not essential and moved it away from my workspace. I still left a few personal touches, like a photo of my best friend and a vase of my favorite flowers. But, I found that those couple of things made the space my own, yet it wasn’t an overly distracting display. Ever since then, my space has been a place where I can easily get to work.

Of course, every so often my student workspace needs a little refresher, but when it’s nice and organized it’s the most efficient.

I encourage you to try this method out and see the difference for yourself. You can choose from some of my tips and tricks to get organized, or even just do whatever makes you feel organized, personally. Try the minimalist method I recommend above, where you simply clear out everything from your work area that isn’t essential and see if that provides you some clarity along your educational journey. You never know what a new habit can do for you until you try it.