How to Organize Your School Locker

If you're one of the lucky students whose school has not outlawed
lockers (and who doesn't have to carry around a day's worth of books
in an overstuffed backpack), then check out these tips for making your
locker your home away from homeroom.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Install a shelf in your locker to double the horizontal storage space. You can find a variety of locker shelves and accessories online at stores such as Lockermate.com, StacksAndStacks.com and PotteryBarnTeen.com.

2. Stand your books upright (not stacked) with their spines out to see the titles and grab the book you need quickly.

3. Use a notebook or binder (or section) for each class. Color-code these binders with notebooks and book covers so that everything related to a particular class is the same color.

4. Save space and keep everything accessible by adding mirrors, pencil cups, clocks and picture frames. Many have magnetic attachments.

5. Carry your valuables--cash, laptop computers, digital cameras or MP3 players--with you; don't put them in your school locker. Better yet, leave them at home.

Tips & Warnings

• Before you shop for a school backpack, measure the width of your locker. It's extra handy to get a backpack or rolling bag that fits right into your locker--even when crammed with books.
• Empty your trash and recycling, and remove unneeded items at least once a week. Make sure you're not creating science experiments out of banana peels and sweaty gym clothes in the locker's nether regions.

on 9/18/2006 Cut pictures out of magazines and stick magnetic tape on the back. It's a really fun, fast, and easy way to brighten up your locker!

on 2/12/2007 Keep all your stuff from one class in a binder with a pencil pocket. You can get to class on time without losing papers.You may like a zipper binder also.

on 9/5/2006 If your school gives out assignment notebooks, put it in a binder along with different tabs for each subject so finding homework will be easy. And decorate the outside to reflect your style.

on 8/15/2006 Clean out your folders every semester. Your folders can become so heavy and space consuming that they actually break your locker, which happened to a friend of mine.

on 8/13/2006 Keep an accordion folder with you throughout the school day. It's all the folders you need for your day mixed into one. It's like a binder, but you don't need to worry about punching holes in all of you papers. If you have free time or a study hall all the papers you need are right there, you don't have to rush back to your locker to get them. After each quarter, trimester, or semester empty out all of your papers into folders in you locker, that way you don't have to carry around papers you don't need anymore but still have the papers just in case you need them later on in the school year, or to study for finals.