During the school year, every day one after the other can seem tedious; however, it’s the small things that make it go by quicker. Students are making their classes match a specific color of folder or notebook. In a way, it’s almost a type of synesthesia; when neural connections are cross-activated, you associate one sensory stimulus with the other. This is like when someone smells a food, and it brings them back to a specific memory.
Is there any reason behind students using this type of coordination? This type of decoration is not only aesthetically pleasing, but it also helps students access their supplies in a quicker fashion. Junior Annabelle Cox tries to stay organized in most aspects of her academic lifestyle.
“I see myself as a very organized person,” said Cox. “I stick to my color system. I have colored pencils that go with each colored folder, and I have a colored highlighter that goes with all of [my classes].”
Subconsciously, people sometimes associate colors with things based on how they feel about them. For instance, if you don’t like a class, you might match it with a color you also don’t like and vice versa; this is because of color psychology. We place classes on a colored scale of what we deem appropriate. On top of that, it’s also a convenient way to stay organized. Cox believes we associate classes with certain colors based on how they make you feel.
“The colors that you choose really depend on how you feel about the subject. If you really didn’t like something, you might choose a bolder color, like red, because it makes [you] angry,” said Cox.
Giving classes personality with shapes and colors can be a fun way to fill a monotonous school day, and it gives students a sense of control in their seemingly hectic schedule. Cox associates different textures for each of her classes to add excitement to her school day.
“Spanish would be a slime that tears apart, and then English would be like glitter, and government would be like plastic, and then my physics class, it gives me metal or metallic vibes. My math class is the feeling of paper cuts, and my engineering class is like if you were to run your finger along gears,” said Cox.
Giving each class a designated color allows for synthesizing the course material into a simple color to remember. Many students have different tactics they use throughout the school year to keep themselves organized. Typically, students place these two things together based on how the class makes them feel. Students use this trick to help sort through the multiple classes they have. Sophomore Ava Gordils tries to stay organized year-round in order to have a peaceful schedule.
“I try to stay organized because it helps me get my homework done on time instead of not being prepared for testing, and it makes sure that everything’s turned in. I have a calendar on my phone, and I also have a planner. I write my assignments in this because it helps me to stay on track and take advantage of my time,” said Gordils.
Many students have held the belief of which color matches each class since primary school; however, one’s color choice can be subject to change after an adversity faced within a classroom, or the opposite, growing love for a class and changing the color to a more favorable option. Gordils has held her belief of which class goes with which color for as long as she can remember.
“ I specify red with math, yellow with history, blue with ELA, and green with science,” said Gordils. “Those are the colors I’ve used since elementary.”
Some students have different opinions about which class matches which color based on their previous experiences. Freshman Kyle Baumann establishes his color system.
“Math is usually red. English is yellow or orange. US history is blue or gray. Science is green. It’s about half and half who agree with [this color system]. Some people don’t organize, but some people love to use this for organizing,” said Baumann.
