Keeping your living space clean and organized is always one of the first New Year’s resolutions to slip – behind going to the gym, of course. Here are some practical tips to create a foolproof organizational system to start the Year of the Rooster on the right foot.

Start Where It Counts

Although it would be nice to start the semester with a perfectly organized closet, beginning your spring cleaning with your school stuff will have the greatest impact on your life. Set yourself up for academic success by copying important dates from your new syllabi into a planner or your phone’s calendar. Better yet, create a spreadsheet of your assignments for the semester to ensure that you don’t forget any. After you’ve pored through your syllabi, find a binder to keep track of them, as well as any other important documents for your classes. Five Star’s Flex NoteBinders are perfect for students who want to keep class notes and handouts together in one place.

Purge First

When you decide to apply your new organizational skills to your dorm room, don’t forget that the best way to maintain a clean space is to have fewer possessions. If you haven’t already done so, sell books from your fall classes to a used bookstore or on the NYU Textbook Exchange FaceBook page. Go through your dresser and toss a few of those free T-shirts into the clothing donation bins located inside most dorms. Recycle those pamphlets that have been in your desk drawer since Welcome Week.

Invest In Organization

One of the best ways to make sure your room won’t be a mess again by midterms is to create a permanent organizational system. Line your shelves with large fabric bins to give miscellaneous items a home. Top your desk and dresser with small dishes or trays to corral loose pens and makeup. These steps will not only keep your space clutter free, but will liven up your decor. If you take the time upfront to organize the objects that  normally clutter your space, it will make cleaning up much easier down the road. Go big or go home, right?

Don’t Give Up

When homework starts to pile up, resist the temptation to also allow junk to pile up in the corner. A messy space will only add to your clutter. Before you get too busy, set aside a time every week to complete household chores such as tidying up the living room, doing laundry and changing your sheets. Soon, these tasks will become a habit. By exam season, you’ll be glad of your tidy room and a mindless activity to keep your mind off the papers you need to write.

A version of this article appeared in the Monday, Jan. 30 print edition. Email Taylor Nicole Rogers at [email protected].