As summer reaches its end, we begin to develop strategies and goals to make our next school year better than the last. For me, this includes methods I plan to be better organized with the various school-related documents I will create throughout the year. As many students know, the services of Google are key for creating and storing all of these documents. Therefore, to develop your organizational skills this year, allow me to explain some organizational tips and tricks with Google Drive!
Google Services
The major feature of Google Drive is its connectivity to the three major Google services: Docs, Sheets, and Slides. To distinguish and improve the use of these documents, I will share some tips and tricks relating to organization and ideas for general use. Feel free to jump around the sections to find tips on certain services you find useful. Also, at the end of each paragraph, I will share minor features I feel everyone should know about and use. For all of these services, however, people should know about these two main features:
Clear Formatting (File) - Helps remove any weird spacing issues in your document that you are not sure how to change. Be warned, however, as all formatting you have done will be removed.
Download/Send a Copy (File) - Allows you to save a Doc as a PDF, which will save to your Google Drive.
Google Docs
One of the most common habits I see with people on Google Docs is forgetting to name their documents. This leads to lots of documents just named "Untitled document," with no indication of what you wrote for future reference. A simple way to address this is to create your own system of naming documents. For me, I like to name my Google Docs with a "Class - Chapter #" format for notes and a “Class - Assignment” format for general class documents. Alongside this, I recommend you try and write all your documents, especially notes, in the same format. This would include the same header, font, margin, and even spacing. If you would like some inspiration, please check out this template and make a copy of the Google Doc. Lastly, the useful minor features from Google Docs I feel people should know are:
Break (Insert) - Divides the document page without you pressing enter multiple times to get the correct spacing.
Citation (Tools) - Creates a source citation inside the document based on the options you choose. It can be used to add in-text citations and create a Works Cited.
Page Numbers (Insert) - Adds page numbers to your document's header or footer for your essays without you struggling to do so.
Google Sheets
Though Google Sheets may be one of the least used Google services, I feel it may be one of the most versatile. As with all documents, you should develop a way of naming these spreadsheets, using the same format for all services. Your naming can go further with Sheets, however, as each spreadsheet can include multiple tabs. These tabs should be named with a short, but accurate title instead of being left as “Sheet#.” If you have ever wondered about ways to use Google Sheets, it is great for tracking and logging information. This can include tracking service hours, writing daily schedules, and storing large amounts of information or data for a project. Lastly, the useful minor features from Google Sheets I feel people should know are:
Data Validation (Data) - Adds move function to cells by making them a check box, drop-down list, a calendar date, and more.
Rotation (Format) - Alters the degree of text, allowing you to customize how text will appear for a special log, such as a map.
Wrapping (Format) - Allows a cell to extend its height if the text written is larger than the size of the cell. If not turned on, the text will continue into the adjacent cell to the left or right.
Google Slides
As the go-to service for presentations, Google Slides provides tons of features to make your slideshows unique and formatted to your projects. With all these slideshows you will create, make sure you apply your methods of naming them which you will use on all Google services. I also recommend you add speaker notes to each of your slides. Though the primary use for speaker notes is to guide you as you present your slideshows, it is also can serve as a place to label your slides for future reference. Now, even though it is easy to customize slideshows with speaker notes, text, and colors, you can truly personalize them with custom themes. As everyone knows, there are multiple provided themes with Google Slides, but these can be limiting if the colors or shapes don't exactly match what you want. To change and address this, simply take shapes and move them around until you create your own "theme," possibly making your own design for a title and main slide. The possibilities are endless and will truly make your slideshow unique among your classmates. Lastly, the useful minor features from Google Sheets I feel people should know are:
Center on Page (Arrange) - Relocates your attachments to the center of the slide without you struggling to match them with the invisible red line. There are also many other similar alignment features found within Arrange.
Chart (Insert) - Adds your choice of a bar, column, line, or pie chart based on information you input into a slideshow.
Transition/Animate - Adds motion to your slides/attachments while in present mode. Though this is not a minor feature, I feel it should be utilized more often.
Google Drive
Now, after you have created and customized all these documents, they will be
uploaded and stored together on your Google Drive. You can find all documents on "My Drive", where they are sorted by name or most recently. This can be improved through folders and utilizing Shared with Me and Starred. As always, feel free to jump around the sections to find tips on certain areas of Google Drive you find useful.
Folders
From my experience, folders truly allow you to use Google Drive by sorting all your documents into categories and subcategories. My recommended format for naming folders is by grade and then by class. You could also separate classes by semester if you want. You can move your documents into folders by right-clicking on a document, selecting
"Move to,' and choosing the document's designated folder. This movement process can take a while if you have a lot of old documents. It will, however, be much easier in the future if you follow a document naming plan across all your documents, with the names reflecting the names of your folders.
Lastly, though it is only aesthetic, you can change a folder's color by right-clicking on a folding, selecting "Change color," and choosing the color you prefer. This can be helpful when you match the colors of classes with the color of your binders and notebooks.
Shared with Me/Starred
Some of the documents you will collect in Google Drive will be shared with you. These documents will not appear in your "My Drive," but rather in "Shared with Me." All shared documents from the main Google services will appear here, displaying the document's share date and the individual who shared the document with you. These documents cannot be sorted into your own personal folders, but shared folders will appear in this tab. If there is a shared, or original, document
or folder you want quick access to, adding it to starred is the best method to do so. Starred
will collect all documents you give this label until you decide to remove them. I personally recommend starring important documents with this label, such as an essay draft, the current class notes, or your present grade/semester folder.
Though the start of school will be challenging, you shouldn't stay comfortable with staying unorganized in Google Drive. I hope you will try some of these tips and develop new ways to improve your use of Google Drive and these Google services. I also recommend you try and apply these tips to other document services, such as Microsoft, to better improve your document organization. Now, I wish everyone good luck on a new school year! It will be summer again before you even know it!