As February comes to an end and March begins, the Spring season and all that comes with it will approach quickly. One activity that typically takes place during this time is spring cleaning. Spring cleaning is a time where people will sort through old belongings, deep clean their living spaces, and spend time organizing their lives. As college students, the process of spring cleaning near the end of the semester can be difficult especially as some people are preparing to move or just resetting after a busy time. It can be hard to manage wrapping up the semester and organizing your life at the same time, so it is important to get an early start on all your spring cleaning activities.
If you are preparing to move out of a space at the end of the semester, you can start packing up early by slowly packing away items as you do not need them anymore. One major tip is to bring any non-essential items with you if you are heading home or to your new space over spring break or long weekends. This can help make the final load of items lighter. Along with this, you can make time in between studying breaks to do some deep cleaning or to sort through any belongings that you may not need anymore.
Part of spring cleaning is getting rid of old items, such as clothing and furniture that you may not need anymore. It is important to remember that just because you do not need it anymore, does not mean that someone else will not benefit from it. There are plenty of places in Grand Forks that take donations. You can consider donating to Goodwill, Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch, Salvation Army, and so many other secondhand donation centers. If you are looking for a way to resell your belongings, this can also be a great way to find them a new home while also making some quick money. You can use reselling platforms like Facebook Marketplace or Depop to sell your furniture or clothing items efficiently.
It can become overwhelming to sort through all of your belongings, so if this is something you want to do, it may be helpful to do so in small portions. For example, if you are sorting through your clothing, pick a category, such as “shirts,” and sort through the items that fit under that category. Then on another day, you can do another category and keep repeating that process on separate days to break up the workload and to sort through efficiently.
This same sort of strategy works for deep cleaning and organizing as well. Pick one task to complete per day, and then after so many days, the work will start to pay off. This makes the process a lot less overwhelming and allows you to be more thorough. However, this strategy is only effective if you start early.
Spending some time cleaning and resetting your space in the spring can be a great way to refresh your living space and your mind. The spring semester can be a busy time, but setting aside time to take care of your space is important as it can help life feel a bit more organized and less stressful. It is important to get ahead with this organization process before the busy exam season begins.
Nora Lee is a Dakota Student General Reporter. She can be reached at nora.lee@und.edu.
