Time Management in College
1. Print out a weekly schedule. You can make one yourself using Excel; you can
print one out from Google Calendar or something similar; you can download one
online. Regardless of what it looks like, make sure this weekly schedule 1) is
blank, 2) has 24 hours a day, and 3) has enough room for you to write in small
details.
2. Add your academics first. First and foremost, prioritize your academics.
Block off the time you have to be in class, in lab, watching required films,
etc. In essence: If you're required to be somewhere for a class you're taking,
add it to the schedule.
3. Add studying time. In addition to actually sitting in class, you'll also need to
dedicate some time after class for studying, researching, doing homework,
writing, etc. Making sure to allocate enough time per class,
mark off study periods during the time your brain works best. (If you write
better in the mornings, for example, allocate an hour or two a few days a week
to work on papers.) Additionally, do your best to break down those study period
into 2 or 3 hour sections instead of, for example, an entire Saturday.
4. Mark off time for your physical needs.Sometimes, things like exercise and sleep get
bumped to the bottom of the priority list during a student's time in school.
These physical needs, however, are incredibly important. Consequently, mark off
time in your schedule for enough sleep each night and for at least a few workouts a week.
5. Mark off time for major obligations. You might have an on-campus job,
need to work in your family business, or have other major obligations that must
be met on a weekly basis. Make sure to add these into your schedule, too, so that
they aren't forgotten.
6. Add time for your cocurricular involvement. If you're involved (or want to be involved)
with certain clubs, with Greek life, with student government, or with any other
kind of cocurricular commitment, mark off the time you'll need each week. This
can get tricky, as cocurricular involvement can change often, but routine
things like club or house meetings usually happen at the same time each week.
7. Add time for your "life" needs. There are, of course, things you have to do to
just keep your overall college life operating smoothly. Consequently, add a
little time throughout the week for basic but important tasks like grocery shopping, doing laundry, and managing your budget.
8. Take an overall look at your schedule -- and prioritize. Chances are, after filling out your weekly
schedule, you'll be surprised at just how little extra time you have. And while
this exercise can help you see all that you have to get done each week, it can
also help you prioritize now and throughout the rest of the semester. With so
much to get done and so few hours to accomplish it all, it's important to do
your best each week to meet your obligations while also, of course, letting
yourself have some downtime and fun along the way.
Labels:
Time Management in College