Assistant Editor's Two Cents

The Benefits of Organization

Did you know that being organized helps you relieve stress? The more organized you are the better you will excel in life. There are many students who are not as organized as they should be. There are plenty of students --- and you know who you are --- who sit there in the crowed computer lab doing last-minute assignments.

The more organized you are the better your assignments will turn out, and you will not be as stressed out because everything will be done in a timely fashion. A lot of students here at Bowie State University need to have better organization skills. When you wait until the last minute, you may turn your work in on time, but it is still sloppy. Most likely you will not get the grade on the assignment that you would like. Now, by some stroke of luck, it is possible that you could get the grade you would want, or at least something decent, but how often does that actually happen?

Having great organizational skills also builds your time-management skills as well. Here are a few steps that you can take to better your organizational skills:

• Buy a daily planner and plan your day accordingly.
• Buy a Palm Pilot, Blackberry or some other hand-held device that has a calendar, to-do list or alarm clock that can remind you of activities throughout the day.
• Finish assignments the day they are assigned so that you can have time to proofread your work or get a second opinion from a friend or professor.
• Keep your belongings in order and clean as you go. If you don't, there will be clutter in your study or work environment.
• Prepare for the coming day as much as you can the night before. If you accidentally oversleep, then you can just get up and go and not have to worry about anything but getting out of the door on time.
• Plan ahead as much as possible. This does not mean that there is no room for spontaneity, but be resourceful before you act.

These are just a few steps that can help you to become more organized to reduce the stress in your life. Feel free to create some of your own tips. Good luck this semester and happy planning.