If there is anything I have learned from my first two years of college, it’s that organization is key and even that is an understatement. Organization is, like, EVERYTHING. There are too many deadlines, too many assignments all due around the same couple of days, and extracurricular activities or meetings on top of that. Not only is it essential to stay prepared and neat during your college years, but the skill is one that will also translate over to an internship or the workplace.

Organization is a skill that not all people have the luxury of possessing naturally. Thankfully, it has always been a staple for me in anything I do: color coded folders and notebooks for each class, neatly organized flash drives and online folders, and of course the lifeline that holds it all together, my planner.

It’s not easy, but it’s really not that hard and trust me, it’s harder to get organized after letting yourself go for a while than if you had maintained order from the start. Everything goes much more smoothly when you know exactly which desk drawer contains the red folder with your assignment in it, versus frantically pulling your hair out looking for miscellaneous papers under your bed (or in your backpack, closet, bathroom….you get it). Organization makes for a more stress-free life.

Your office desk at your internship or job and your handling of upcoming deadlines will reflect on your organizational skills. Having everything you need to complete a task at the ready not only helps the process go much faster, but leaves an impression to the people around you that you are a hard worker, someone who demands to be taken seriously and will do the job right.

This skill is extremely beneficial and will surely pay off. So buy yourself a planner, start using sticky notes as reminders, let yourself fall into routines, and do some cleaning up to start yourself off on the path to being more organized!