I’ve got a desktop computer. With 2 speakers and 1 sub woofer. A microphone. A webcam. The keyboard. The mouse. The monitor. An external battery. A printer. An external hard drive. My Zen. The Internet cables. And the USB cable to connect to my digital camera. That all comes with… a big mess. I mean, that’s a lot of wires. I’ve even got a desk lamp, too.

Big suggestion: Keep the twisty ties. Don’t toss them out when you buy new electronics. Also, you can keep the ones you get from buying bread. You can also, uh, borrow a few from the dining hall? I don’t know. In any case, do not throw them away. Use them.

Get behind your computer with a flashlight (if needed) and a handful of twisty ties. Find the cords and go at it. Leave a little wiggle room and tie the rest into a bundle. How I do it, I wrap the extra cord around my hand and then twisty tie the bunch together.

Furthermore, I’ve found this process much easier if you turn your computer off. This way, you can unplug and plug back in, if need be.

Now go tackle those tangles!