 Introduction to File Management Can you no longer see your desktop background image? Is your desktop covered in files? Do you spend five minutes searching for a file you know you saved? Have you ever had to redo an assignment because you can't find it? If you answered yes to any of these questions, this video is definitely for you. What is File Management? File Management is the process and act of creating an organized structure in which you store information for easy retrieval. As an undergraduate student, you're going to save more files than you can imagine during your time here in college. Developing a system for managing and organizing all of your files early in your academic career will set you up for success inside the classroom and in extracurricular activities. Why is File Management important? Learning how to manage files now prepares you for a successful future. You may decide to apply for an internship, a job, a committee, anything really, and you'll need a resume or maybe even a portfolio for the application. Having quick access to well organized files will make it easier for you to pull together all of the information and examples of your work in order to showcase your best self. Alternately, you may be able to build upon past works and your more senior level classes. Being able to locate past projects easily is essential in that scenario. Why should you learn about this now and employ these strategies? Because you never know when you'll need something, starting a system for file management now means you'll never have to clean up the mess. Some best practices for file management include utilizing subfolders, employing consistent naming patterns, and dating files. Taking advantage of the Google Suite is another great idea because it makes creating, sharing, and version control easy, which is essential for group projects. And don't worry if you don't know about version control yet, you will. How is file management useful and long term? In addition to your own personal file management, we can think about file management in terms of research. Research projects often take a long time to complete. They can span from months to years. Proper file management at the start of a project can ensure that you have access to the data and files you need and you know when the file was made and what information each file contains. When should you begin managing your files? Now, find a method that works best for you that you can commit to using. If you have any questions about file management, be sure to ask your research mentor, a professor, or a librarian for help.