So for my classes this year (high school) i want to use 3 prong folders (handouts and sheets in pockets, notes in the prongs) and i have a whopping 7-day waterfall block schedule. Since each class is a separate folder i dont know if i should keep the folders im not using that day at home or at school, bc what if i get home and i need tho folder, or im at school and brought the wrong folders. Thats why i favor having 1 thing for all my classes because its another thing to think about if you have the right folder. I wish i could house all the folders in 1 binder, but 3-prong folders dont have holes. If you have a solution please let me know!!
My boys also have a 7 day rotating schedule in HS and run into this problem. If you take all of the folders every day, space in the bag gets tight and it gets heavy, especially by end of term when they are full. S18 would re-arrange the bag each day with the notebooks/binders/ folders needed for classes he had that day. He may have mixed up books once or twice but it was never a big deal. Better than the heavy bag. Plus, it was a good way to run through the classes mentally and make sure he wasn’t forgetting to do something.
It is a real pet peeve of mine that these schoolbags get so heavy. Even though manyclasses have moved to digital books, lots of the teachers want a dedicated binder and notebook. And certain classes like languages are heavy textbooks plus workbook. I can barely lift my son’s bag - I can’t imagine what it is doing to their backs.
Mead sells 3-prong folders with binder holes.
My DD has used the SOAR organization system since 4th grade with considerable success, so we saw no reason to change it in high school. There are books and web sites that explain it (Google it), but the gist of it is:
One 1.5" (+/- 1/2") binder containing an assignment notebook and pencil case, three folders in the binder labeled: “take home”, “back to school”, and “to be filed”. In the back of the binder is about 20 empty sheets of filler paper (lined & graph) (used and refilled as needed). At home is a 12 pocket expandable folder labelled with each of her subjects.
While her classmates spent years carrying a notebook and folder to each class (often carting papers they haven’t used or needed in months), and trying to keep them straight, she carried around one 1.5" binder. We bought the kind with the flexible cover because it fits around other things in her backpack easily. The system isn’t for everyone (it requires you to stay on top of your filing), but it sure worked for her.