Folder systems to try later

Do not start with a complicated folder system.

Start with this simple workspace:

C:\Users\<your-name>\study\
├── inbox/
├── school/
├── projects/
├── notes/
├── resources/
└── archive/

This is enough for now.

The goal is to learn your coding agent, understand Dataverse and build one small proof project. A perfect folder system is not the goal.

Shared link: folder structure video

Watch this later, not before the first setup.

This is useful when the simple study/ folder starts to feel messy and you want ideas for a more deliberate folder system:

Folder structure video, shared timestamp

Use it as inspiration, not as a rulebook. The current goal is still to keep the first Windows workspace simple.

When should you change the system?

Only change it when you feel one of these problems:

• You cannot find files quickly.
• Your inbox/ is always full.
• School files and personal projects are mixed together.
• You have many unfinished projects and do not know what is active.
• You have notes, but you never reuse them.
• You spend more time organizing than learning or building.

If none of these are true, keep the simple structure.

Option 1: PARA

PARA is a popular simple system for files and notes.

It has four main folders:

Projects/
Areas/
Resources/
Archive/

Use it when you have many different things going on.

For a student, this can mean:

Projects/   = active assignments, proof projects, applications
Areas/      = university, career, health, finances
Resources/  = Dataverse notes, Microsoft Learn links, PDFs
Archive/    = finished semesters and old projects

Do not use PARA if it feels like extra work. It should make decisions easier, not harder.

Option 2: Semester/course folders

This is useful when school becomes the main source of files.

Example:

school/
└── 2026-spring/
    ├── algorithms/
    │   ├── notes/
    │   ├── assignments/
    │   ├── readings/
    │   └── exams/
    └── databases/
        ├── notes/
        ├── assignments/
        ├── readings/
        └── exams/

Use this if:

• every course has many files
• exam preparation is hard because files are scattered
• you need a repeatable structure every semester

This system is good for school, but it is not enough for portfolio projects. Keep career/proof projects in projects/.

Option 3: Johnny.Decimal

Johnny.Decimal is a numbered folder system.

Example:

10-19 School
20-29 Projects
30-39 Career
40-49 Resources

It is powerful, but it is not the best first system.

Use it later if:

• you have many folders
• you want stable categories
• you like numbers and strict rules
• you need the same structure across File Explorer, notes and cloud storage

Do not use it yet if your study workspace is still small.

Option 4: Obsidian / linked notes

Obsidian is useful when your notes become valuable knowledge, not just temporary study notes.

Use it later if:

• you write many Markdown notes
• you want to link ideas together
• you want notes to help future projects
• you want your coding agent or another tool to read your notes as context

Simple rule:

A note is useful when it is written in your own words and can help future you.

Do not install many plugins at the beginning. Plain Markdown is enough.

Option 5: Developer project folders

When you build more code projects, each project should have its own folder.

Example:

projects/my-project/
├── README.md
├── src/
├── tests/
├── docs/
└── .gitignore

For a Dataverse proof project:

projects/dataverse-portfolio-review-room/
├── README.md
├── docs/
│   ├── schema-diagram.md
│   ├── security-role-matrix.md
│   ├── assumptions-and-limits.md
│   └── screenshots/
└── src/
    └── unpacked-solution/

The README should explain the business value first, then the technical details.

File naming rule

Use dates when time matters.

Good format:

YYYY-MM-DD_topic_short-description.md

Examples:

2026-06-17_dataverse_security-roles.md
2026-06-18_xpm_public-research.md
2026-06-20_portfolio-review-room_plan.md

This sorts correctly on Windows and is easy to search.

Weekly reset

Once a week, spend 10 minutes cleaning the workspace.

Checklist:

• Move files out of inbox/.
• Move finished work to archive/.
• Rename unclear files.
• Write one short note about what you learned.
• Ask the agent: "What should I clean up in this folder structure?"

Example agent prompt:

Look at my study folder. Suggest a simple cleanup plan. Do not make the system more complicated than necessary.

Main rule

Use the simplest system that solves the problem you actually have.

Do not organize for an imaginary future.

Start simple. Improve only when the current system hurts.