Students learn about organization from the Wellness Committee.
By Grace LaPlaca ’25
On February 7, the Wellness Committee hosted a workshop to teach students how to use Notion, an online organization app, in the Andrew Mellon Library. The program, which took place during an all-school break, was advertised on posters throughout campus and open to all members of the Choate community. The theme of the event, “Organize Your Life,” was relevant to not only the attendees, but also to the committee members hosting the event.
The program was led by Racquel Welcome ’24, one of the leaders of the committee and an avid Notion user who keeps track of her assignments and personal life on her page. “I love it — especially as a senior with a lot of organizational skills that I wish I had when I was younger,” Welcome said. “I wanted to give people an opportunity to learn it.”
After sharing why she uses Notion, Welcome showed attendees her Notion setup and walked through the process of building it.
Welcome hoped students could understand that organization should not be boring. Notion allows users to fully customize their page to fit their style and needs, making the process more enjoyable. “Organizing on my planner helps me relax,” she said. “It’s a way for me to be productive without having to do schoolwork, and it keeps me from just scrolling on my phone.”
The event was part of a larger collaboration between the Library and the Wellness Committee to create programming inspired by the theme, “Organize Your Life.” In light Mental Health Awareness Month in January, the Library’s book displays were centered around wellness. The displays also featured books, films, TV series, podcasts, and apps the committee recommended to aid student wellness.
“Winter term often feels crunched for students,” Assistant Director of the Library Ms. Sam Nelson said. “So, highlighting wellbeing and tools to make their lives easier can be helpful.”
Ms. Nelson reflected on the significance of the event and its theme of organization. “We settled on that concept because we all recognize that being unorganized is a significant cause of stress,” she said. “The best way to alleviate that stress is to offer ways for students to get organized.”
For students feeling overwhelmed and disorganized, Welcome emphasized the impact Notion has had on her life. “You have everything in one place,” she said. “It’s accessible on your phone, laptop, and iPad, and every widget and feature makes you feel so productive — and so cool.”
Attendee Jai Midha ’27 took away the importance of time management and how Notion can help facilitate that. “I learned how to organize all my resources into one application to make starting work and knowing what to work on very easy and simple,” he said.
