I own a lot of books. Like, a lot of books. I haven’t counted in recent memory, but it is somewhere between 300 and 400 books. Novels, biographies, manuals and collections stack themselves high in my room – nearly floor to ceiling.

And because I moved recently my books are now in absolute disarray. No longer alphabetized by author, no longer sorted by size, they are thrown together haphazardly.

In short, it’s a mess.

But during the holidays I received something I never thought would change my life: an e-reader. It is a small, portable, flat screen tool I now can use as an ultimate organizational weapon.

And that is what brought me to this realization: organization in life is a good thing.

Don’t doubt that for a second.

With the new semester unfolding in front of us, some things may appear a bit daunting – classes, work, classes, homework, maybe sleep, wake up and repeat.

But if you take a few moments to really consider how to organize your life to a point where everything seems 100 percent doable, life will go much easier.

With the e-reader idea in mind I purchased the first agenda I’ve had since my teachers handed them out to me in middle school.

I’ve got times, dates and places all readily available now.

I even allot time for relaxing and not pulling my hair out by its roots.

College prepares students for the “Real World” – that seemingly mythological place where you have a credit score instead of eating cake at 9 a.m.

And in this “Real World” time management comes into play probably a lot more than people realize. It cannot always be a fluid schedule with no real deadline.

Some things in college are not taught in classrooms or by reading a textbook. Some things you have to figure out for yourself. Time management and organization fall into those categories.

College is also the time for experimentation. It’s a time for taking new classes and meeting new friends and trying new things. New things also include trying an organizational method.

If you found yourself beyond stressed at finals last semester, maybe think about how you managed your time and how your life was organized.

It might help this semester.

College is about success; so don’t doubt for a second that organization can help you find that success.

Bob Galuski is a senior English and journalism major. He can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected].