By Emily Craft

DCCC Counselor Jennifer Kalligonis held a workshop titled “Getting Organized for the Semester” to help students become more organized in their classes and personal life.

Nine students attended the workshop held in Room 2185 on Marple’s Camus during Q-time on January 31.

Kalligonis started off with a PowerPoint slide titled- “Why get organized?”

When students are organized in, school, home and work, they are more likely to feel in control of their life and will save time by knowing exactly what is going to happen and when, the PowerPoint emphasized.

According to Kalligonis, college students tend to already be stressed out, so why cause more stress?

“When you are organized, you will also impress others by knowing exactly what is going on” Kalligonis said “This is a good tool to use in your work life as well.”

Killagonis told students, when they themselves are looking to be more organized, they should start by setting short term goals and long term goals for themselves. This will help students feel that they have a purpose and motivation to stay on track and know that you are heading in the right direction.

These goals should be realistic. “You should not set a goal to get an A in math class if you struggle in Math,” Killigonis said.

The presentation recommended students create an action plan for how to accomplish that goal so they are more likely to achieve it according to Kalligonis.

Kalligonis listed many helpful hands-on tools that students can invest in to help stay organized: a day planner for writing down everything students need to remember; a calendar; and students smart phones that enable students to put all due dates in your electronic calendar with a set alarm to be alerted.

As the workshop went on, students raised their hands and gave advice to one another about helpful tips to keep everything on track like printing out ones schedule from Canvas, the online program DCCC uses for students to maintain contact with professors and view their grades.

Catrina Jacobs, age 35, a Liberal arts major, said this was the first workshop she has attended at the college. “I feel this workshop has definitely helped me think of ideas to stay organized in my classes,” Jacobs said. “I feel a before and after difference.”

Jacobs is an event planner but feels sometimes it can be difficult to stay organized when it comes to school.

A survey conducted by Greenfield Online, an online organization that collects data from consumer feedback, reported that 47 percent of college students do not feel their high school properly prepared them with organizational skills to do well in college. The other percent felt they would do better in college if they were more organized.

“I consider myself an organized person but school can get a little funny sometimes,” Jacobs said. “There’s nothing wrong with a little help.”

Contact Emily Craft at communitarian@mail.dccc.edu