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Soon it will be time to go back to school; whether you are a college student or the parent of a child in grades K-12 you will be soon tasked with homework and long nights studying. More than likely you sprawl out on the floor, dining table or in front of the TV, but these poor habits can have adverse effects.
Instead create a space that is designated for school work and designed to encourage learning.
Start by looking around your apartment. Do you have an unused closet or a blank wall or empty corner? All of these make great study nooks. If you select a corner, consider purchasing a corner desk that fits into the area or place a small desk on an angle and make sure the chair fits snug in. You can purchase a desk with drawers or a small table and hide clutter with a piece of fabric that is hung from tension rods underneath. A closet can make a great office or study area and saves space.
Be sure to consider ergonomics and proper lighting. Consider purchasing a floor or desk lamp that has light that is focused on the study area. There are a lot of stylish and compact models available.
Keeping clutter to a minimum will make studying easier and keep your apartment neat and tidy. One way to keep your area organized is to designate space for books, folders and files. Your local office supply store has a wide variety of organizers including shelves, file folders, boxes and trays. You can also be creative, for example purchase a small shelf and use a tension rod or a strong wire that goes from edge to edge. Purchase some small buckets (you can spray paint them to match or accent your décor) and loop the handle over the rod (wire), mark each bucket with the items that belong in it and you have a creative and colorful way to organize your belongings.
Set up a notification area, whether this is a calendar or a cork board, having a place to write down or pin notifications, permission slips and reminders will help you stay organized and ready for school.
Follow these tips for a productive new school year.