How to Better Manage Time in College
College is a time of freedom and new experiences, but many new college students find that their biggest challenge is how to manage their time. Keeping a few things in mind can be a big help with this.
The first and most simple thing for a college student to get is a useful calendar. Paper or digital, it doesn’t make a difference, as long as the calendar is used consistantly to enter all of the things you need to get done. Use this calendar to write everything down, including time to do the laundry, time to study and time to hang out with friends. Some students will want to have more than one calendar, but that is often a mistake because multiple places to store information can often be more overwhelming than not having a calendar at all. When finals comes around, you may even have to schedule time for sleeping!
For important things like tests and term papers, it is helpful to put them into your calendaring system as soon as you know about them. That way, you can figure out how much time it will take you to study or finish the the task and can count backwards and schedule in a starting time. Many college students try to do things at the last minute and find themselves either short of time to finish the project or finish their project poorly.
Having a part-time job to help pay for college is an experience many college students also must deal with. In order to make scheduling work and studies easier, ask for the work schedule as far in advance as possible. Very often, if you tell your employer when you are free to work, it is possible to work during that time.
Don’t schedule every minute of your day for projects. This is unrealistic because students need down time to relax or just to allow time for things in their day to change. If things change or happen at the last minute, having free time will allow you to shift things around. Leaving a space for free time during your day will also help you keep your sanity when your studies become too much.
College students often forget to take into account good time management skills, even though it is one of the most critical factors to success. Successful students often have good time management skills; struggling students often do not.
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