Compared to taking notes, setting up a binder is pretty straightforward. And yet: look around any classroom--or boardroom--and what do you see? Spiral notebooks. Pads. Composition books. All of which are fine if you're eight years-old and need something to doodle on. Once you move on to middle school, folks, it's time for an upgrade.
In very little time you can create a binder for work or for school that will go the distance in keeping you prepared, on track, up-to-date, and organized--all for less than ten bucks. Sure, you can find fancy materials--and I admit, I love fancy materials--but it still comes down to four components: binder, paper, dividers, and pockets. Let's take a closer look at each:
The Binder
It's no secret I'm a huge fan of Levenger's Circa, which combines the portability of a notebook with the expandability of a binder, but plain old binders are what got me through college and grad school. As far as I'm concerned, you can't go wrong with the buck-ninety-nine plastic standby, although the amazing MO Signature Binder, right, offered in cool colors and tricked out with metal-finished edges and finger pulls is tough to resist.
The Paper
Plain old college-ruled paper does just fine, but fun options include graph, colored, pre-printed (i.e. to-do lists and project planners) and annotation ruled.
The Dividers
Dividers aren't an option, but are every bit as essential as paper and the binder itself. Dividers--along with pockets which we'll discuss next--are what gives binders functionality over plain old pads or composition books. Specifically, dividers enable you to categorized and organizeinformation according to type, subject, project, or date. You can get dividers with pre-printed tabs or make them easily yourself.
The Pockets
Like dividers, the essential functionality of binder pockets is often overlooked. Why, I don't know. Where else are you going to slip in tests, quizzes, client information, hand-outs, marketing materials, timelines, and reports? Pockets can be zippered and gusseted to store everything from stamps to pens. They can be cut on a bias for easy access to materials. Report covers are actually a kind of pocket that enables you to add documents without defacing them with hole punches.
Here are two examples of good, functional binders using different materials
Example 1: New binder suitable for school or for work using Levenger's Circa system

I pulled together this binder for a friend who's going off to college for the first time. Using Levenger's Circa system, I selected extra-larges rings (1-1/2") for maximum capacity. For fun and for easy identification, I used five different colors of paper, which I separated with dividers. Each section contains a couple Project Planners, so he can map out the actions needed for projects and papers. I also included several small To Do pages to capture tasks and reminders like reading assignments and test preparation. While typed notes, syllabbi, handouts and quizzes can be punched and added to the binder using a Circa punch, I included a pocket for convenience.
While the above notebook was created for a college student in mind, it's equally functional for a business professional. The sections can be used for different clients, projects, or responsibilities, or they can sub-divide a large project into manageable chunks, while the To Do and Project Planners are useful for any professional.
Example 2: Classic (and much used) school binder with index tabs tied to the Table of Contents
Okay, this binder has seen better days. But by golly, it was functional and proved to be a great resource ever after. The colored table of contents and tabs made it easy to find information. While I just punched handouts, notes, and quizzes, I used report covers for assignments to keep them pristine.

Above: assignment in report cover.
Above: my beloved, beat-up drafting binder.
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