These back to school TikTok hacks will help with lunches, dorm organization and more
Cashback app Ibotta giving away free school supplies for back to school at Walmart and moreWill states, schools follow guidelines?
How to easily meal prep school lunches
Each Sunday, Lauren Clutter says she prepares the foods and snacks her kids will eat for the week. For example, she’ll prepare and freeze five cups of applesauce for the week.
To speed up sandwich prep, Clutter buys a large pack of Hawaiian bread rolls and cuts it down the middle. She then loads on cheese and other toppings as if it was one large sandwich. Once she’s done, she individually cuts slices for her kids and saves the other slices for the rest of the week.
Speed up the morning routine with this day-of-the-week outfit hack
For parents looking to shorten the morning routine, try choosing your child’s clothes for the week on Sunday night. Then, place each pair of clothing into bins or shelves labeled by the days of the week, as seen in this TikTok video.
This way, parents and students can avoid the extra minutes spent debating which shoes, shirt and pants to sport on the first day of school.
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How to organize kids’ paperwork and artwork
Inevitably, younger children come home from school with mountains of paperwork, artwork and coloring pages. What’s the best way to store those memories? Grab new or used binders and place dozens of dividers and sheet protectors. Slip your child’s painting or paperwork into the sheet protectors and decorate the binder as you’d like. Then place which school year the paperwork belongs to, and you’re set.
It’s a quick but effective way to preserve the paperwork, Roxanne Strickland told her TikTok followers.
Organizing your dorm room
If you or your college student finds themselves making the best of a small space, here are some tips to organize a dorm room, as seen on TikTok. An over-the-door rack is great for placing essentials including school supplies, snacks and sanitary products.
Purchase a clear acrylic or plastic file sorter and store your laptops, phones, watches and chargers. This will keep any electronic clutter clean. Then, place a stackable shoe storage bin or rack on the floor of your closet. It’s an easier and cleaner way to store shoes on your closet floor.
You can also purchase a rolling cart and convert it into an on-the-go study station. You can keep all notes, school supplies and textbooks here in case you need to study in a remote or nearby area.
Start habits early
College student, Ada Cruz advised students to start their regular school routine a few weeks early. She suggests college students start scheduling small tasks on their planner, sleeping earlier and eating breakfast ahead of the school year. She added students should start a list of what to prioritize before classes start such as registering for courses, buying school supplies and organizing their rooms.
Although a small hack, the TikTok user said it helps her get into the right mindset before school.
Creative ways to organize your schedule
A creative scheduling hack would be to place your weekly to-do lists on different colored paint swatches. The variation in color will keep your attention and you can even place the most important assignments in a red or bright color, one TikTok user recommends. Mary Song, who created the TikTok, recommended organizing the colors by subject, so anything to do with school would be blue and personal time could be yellow.
This is an easy, fun and visual way to organize your time and commitments.
Follow Gabriela Miranda on Twitter: @itsgabbymiranda