In the spring of 2015, when I graduated college and effectively entered the “adult” portion of my life, the thing that surprised me most was all the paper.
I had grown accustomed to piles of paper throughout my schooling career, of course — the endless syllabi and textbook printouts and ten-to-twenty-page research papers I would hang onto long after they had been graded as a memento of a time I had once possessed critical thought — but I had thought that when I left college behind, my diploma would more or less be the last piece of paper I had to keep track of.
This, as it turned out, was not exactly the case. As soon as I moved to a new city and started a new job, I was saddled with new paper items like leases and work documents that, though they came in a lesser volume than in college, had much greater importance.
ADVERTISEMENT
And unlike college, I couldn’t shove them to the bottom of my Herschel and hope for the best. And, considering I lived in a tiny room in a lopsided Brooklyn apartment that didn’t even have room for a real closet, let alone a sturdy mahogany desk in which I might be able to organize my important papers the way they deserved, simply sticking them into crevices and hoping they would appear in the moments I needed them most was just not an option. I was stuck.
My solution came in the form of something I had managed to resist all throughout college — a simple file folder.
Now, I understand that being amazed by the sheer utility of a basic file folder is a fairly mortifying — if predictable — problem for a millennial to have. But I also suspect I am not alone, and, to that end, I am happy to recommend a file folder to anyone who also found themselves surprised by an adult-onset paper onslaught.
Technically, as long as a file folder has clearly defined pockets, pretty much any one you choose should work. But I am partial to this one from Skydue.
It comes in a variety of fun, soothing colors and snaps shut with a clasp so nothing important will fall out. It also has four roomy pockets that can be used for anything — work documents, tax information, old birthday cards you know you don’t technically need but also can’t quite bring yourself to part with — with space to make labels like “work stuff” or “tax stuff” or “home stuff,” or, simply, “miscellaneous.” Or whatever! I don’t know your life.
But what I do know is that you just need to get yourself a file folder (or two). It’s not the cure for everything, but it will help at least keep that pile of papers that you should probably pay attention to at bay.
Scouted is here to surface products that you might like. Follow us on Flipboard. Please note that if you buy something featured in one of our posts, The Daily Beast may collect a share of sales.