It’s the one thing in those last weeks of summer that fills any child with dread: school supplies. I’m not normally one to go shopping for school supplies 13 hours before the first day, but due to unfortunate circumstances, I found myself at Staples at 6:30 p.m., the Sunday night before the first day of school.

Not surprisingly, many other procrastinators seemed to find themselves in this situation, too. The line wrapped around the entire store in a way that was almost comical. Adding to the gloom and stress in the building was the stench of vomit. Yes, I can now say I have witnessed a child throw up on the floor. I guess even toddlers get stressed about school.

And they left their mark at the office supply store, a mark that had yet to be cleaned up by the time I left. Getting school supplies is clearly a calm and pleasant experience.

Whether you’re going into first grade or 11th, the time-honored tradition of going back to school always starts with getting the necessary materials for school. For students in elementary and middle school, this is a piece of cake. They can just follow the list, and will be more than prepared on Monday. For high school, it’s not so simple. You can get one binder, multiple binders, or no binders at all, but chances are you’re going to have at least one teacher who requires you to have a two inch binder with five dividers and one that does not specify at all.

As much as organizing school supplies is a hassle, it’s necessary to find your personal favorite organizing method in order to have a successful school year. I unfortunately found out the hard way that this seemingly simple task can be difficult at first, but I also know from my 11 years of school experience that no matter how long the line is, getting organized is the first step to the new year.