I would do something simple first, like find all the old to-do lists and throw them away. Don't stop to read any other papers, just glance at each piece and identify if it is a to-do list or not and then trash it (don't read it either!). You can make to-do lists as good or better than previous ones any day of the week so the old ones are just trash now.

Pile things "neater". Grab a pile and separate it into other piles, magazines in one, books in one, notebooks and office/art supplies in one, bills in one, stuff you want immediately/daily in one. Think a little bit about each pile but not too much. For example, do you notice a pile of previous work that goes together? (I just took a class and had classwork but the class is over now) Do you need it now? Stick that pile on a shelf or in a bag/box/drawer.

Put the books away on a shelf or in front of a bookshelf, closer to other books. Grab the magazines and quickly page through, not stopping to read, tear out the pages that you cannot live without, put them in the bills/immediate/daily pile and throw away the rest of the magazine! There will be more magazines with the same old same old. Any pile of "supplies" put near your other supply shelf, etc.

Now look around and make sure you have "paths" to all parts of the room You should be a bit cheered because things should be starting to look a bit more organized. Just grab single piles or "like" objects and deal with them.