Get organised

Cleaning up your room and work area at home will make jumping back into study so much easier. Follow these neat tips to turn your disaster zone into a Zen utopia.

Clear out the clutter

Work your way through your room, clearing out one section at a time. This way the task doesn't become too overwhelming. Start on one area, like your desk drawers or your closet, and throw out the things you don't need.

Play your favourite tunes while you work to make the job more fun.

Turn off your mobile, ignore your IM, resist the temptation to jump on Facebook/MySpace/Uber and shut your door so that you're not distracted by anything. You'll get the job done a whole lot faster this way.

Give yourself the okay to have a break at a certain time and don't take a break before that. It's not too hard to work for an hour without having a rest.
Is it a keeper? How to decide what stuff to hang on to and what stuff to chuck.


Hang on to it if its something you use all the time, have space for it and honestly love it.

It's time to part with it if you haven't used or worn it in the last year, it's falling apart and it's taking up valuable space.

Remember, you can always donate your unwanted goods. Someone's trash is someone else's treasure. If it's still in good condition, but you just don't have a use for it, donate it to the Salvo's or Vinnies.
Tidy with style


Arrange your things, like books, jewellery, clothes, DVD's and CDs by colour. This will make your space look pulled together and neat.

Hang your clothes in groups (eg, hand your pants together, dressed together etc.)

Head to a storage shop like Howard's Storage World or just a cheap Two Dollar shop and buy storage containers. Use them to store items like jewellery, hair accessories and make up. Label the containers so that you know exactly where everything is.

Store your bags and shoes on shelves so that they're easy to see. This will also prevent them from getting damaged at the back of your closet.
Stay organised


Don't procrastinate. If you make a mess in your room, clean it up straight away. Don't let things sit out and mound into piles of clutter.

Put DVDs and CDs back in their correct cases after you use them, hang clothes after they've been washed and stack your accessories back in their right place after you've worn them.

Before you buy something that will take up space in your room, think about whether you really need it, or if it's just going to add to the clutter or collect dust. Or, for every new item you buy, try to get rid of something old.