Learning how to organize your notes is the first step to acing those classes! This system will literally change your life and your grades for the better.
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I will be the first to tell you that I hate lugging heavy binders around school. I take six classes every year, meaning I can have up to six binders and a whole lot of paper.
Not only is it annoyingly heavy, but I found it so pointless to be carrying around all these notes that I don’t even use. Most of these articles start with me finding a problem in my life and then figuring out a system to solve it.
Now that you know the problem, onto the solution. Over the years, I have developed and adapted a three part system for how I organize notes that has single-handedly saved my backpack from weighing 100 pounds (no seriously, I wish I was exaggerating).
This is definitely going to sound stupid, but the 3 part system is having and maintaining a front stock, back stock, and back back stock. I know, I was really creative with the name, haha!
This post is all about how to organize your notes!
organize your notes Part 1: The front stock
What is it?
The front stock is all of the notes and papers for what you are currently learning.
Maybe it’s the chapter you are learning in math class or the time period you are studying in history. Whatever you are in the process of learning about would be considered the front stock.
Depending on the class, your front stock may vary a little bit.
For example, in my physics class my front stock is only the unit I am currently working on and nothing else. However, my history binder has the past few chapters because I use those regularly.
Where Do these notes go?
All of your front stock papers should go in your binder, folder, or notebook that you use for each class.
Because you are currently learning the content and using these materials, you want to have easy access to everything.
organize your notes part 2: The back stock
What is it?
The back stock is anything from the current year or current class, but that you aren’t learning at the moment.
For example, back stock would be considered last chapter’s or last quarter’s materials.
Like I said previously, it is up to you to determine what belongs in front stock and what belongs in back stock. It really is going to depend on the class and the teacher.
When it comes to the classes I am currently in, I don’t go through my papers when I switch things from front to back stock.
I keep everything if I am still in the class. That way, I have everything I need when midterms and finals come around.
Where do these notes go?
While you still want access to the back stock, it shouldn’t be taking up space in your binders. Instead, keep it in your bedroom or study space.
That way, you have all the materials for midterm tests or finals without having to constantly carry it around.
In my life, I keep my back stock in a magazine holder on my desk. I can easily grab anything that I need, but it isn’t weighing down my backpack.
When do you organize these notes?
I usually move things from front stock to back stock after I finish a chapter, unit, or lesson. Therefore, it is going to be a little different for each class.
organize your notes part 3: The back back stock
What is it?
The back back stock is the older materials. This would be anything from classes that you aren’t currently in, but you still need to keep the old notes.
When it comes to back back stock, I don’t keep everything from previous years. Typically, I only keep any sort of notes, study guides, or general information. Specific worksheets or practice problems usually end up in the trash.
If you are trying to figure out what to keep and what to toss, ask yourself what you are actually going to use.
For example, you most likely won’t need a practice worksheet from your Spanish class, but you might need a study guide with all of the chapter’s words and translations.
You want to be practical with what you keep, but remember that it’s better to be safe than sorry when you throw things away.
Where do these notes go?
Back back stock is used very rarely and therefore does not need to be very accessible. That top shelf in your closet that you can’t really reach is the perfect place for back back stock.
Anywhere where you can get to it if necessary, but not prime space.
Personally, I keep my back back stock in a bin in my room with other old school stuff that I am not using. Then, I put the bin in the top of my closet and very rarely take it down.
When do you organize these notes?
I only go through my back back stock once a year when the school year ends.
Each year, I’ll get rid of the previous back back stock and add the new stuff (unless I need to keep certain materials for extended periods of time).
One more thing to add: you want to check with your teachers/professors before using this system. Some teachers may want you to leave everything in your binder until the end of the year and others won’t mind.
As a rule of thumb, I always like to ask my teacher if it is alright to leave past material at home. Most times, they say that it is fine as long as you don’t throw it away.
bonus: how to use colorful pens to organize your notes
As an extra bonus to this article, I wanted to show you my top 3 ways I take notes with my FAVORITE colorful pens. If you get one thing out of this article, just buy those pens. My notes are SOOO organized because of them. I got these pens my freshman year of high school and literally do not understand how I went so long without them.
For the most part, I only use the pens for titles and headings. The rest of the notes are taken in pencil. I do this for two reasons.
The first is that I tend to make a lot of mistakes and need to be able to erase, haha!
The second is that writing everything in colorful pens looked a little bright for me, so I switched to only headings. This also makes important terms or people stand out as well.
organize using One color per class
This is pretty self-explanatory; With this method, I use a different color per class. Not only are the notes all the specified color, but the binder is as well. Read about My Color Coded Class System to learn more about this system!
organize using One color per unit/chapter
I just started doing this in physics this year and it makes my notes look so pretty and organizes everything so well! In this method, each unit/chapter’s headings are a different color.
Organize using Two colors per unit/chapter
This is my go-to note-taking method for history this year and everything has stayed so organized because of it. In this method, I pick two colors that look nice together and use one for titles and one for subtitles. The rest of the notes are done in pencil.
This post was all about how to organize your notes!
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