Time management. It sounds simple, but as a busy college student, it may not be easy to put it into practice. Between studying, going to class, extracurriculars, working, and trying to connect with other students, it often seems as if there isn’t enough time in the day. Don’t let poor time management overwhelm you or keep you from making the most of your college experience. Here are a few tips to help you master time management.
Use a Planner
The list of things a college student needs to remember is long: test dates, paper and project due dates, regular homework assignments, work schedules, and more. There’s just no way you can remember everything. Instead of trying to keep it all in your head, use a planner. Write down assignments and their due dates, upcoming tests, and other tasks. Having everything written in one place will ensure that you don’t miss any big deadlines and that you are prepared for whatever is on your schedule.
While some people do better with a written planner, don’t forget there also are plenty of online tools that can keep you on top of your schedule, including Google Calendar and Microsoft Outlook. You can even make your own online planner for free through sites like Canva. Whether it’s paper or a digital platform, a planner is a key way to help you master time management.
Block Time
Now that you know what your next few weeks or months look like, take another look at your schedule and see where you may be able to block some time. This may be blocks for studying, working, sleeping, or hanging out with friends. It’s important to create space in your day for things that need to be done but can easily fall to the side if you don’t manage your time appropriately. Adding these types of tasks into your planner will help you follow through with them.
Don’t Procrastinate
This may be the hardest tip on the list. Have you ever known about a paper for a month, but three days before it’s due you realize you haven’t even started? Why did that happen, and how do you fix it? Often, we procrastinate doing things we don’t want to do or don’t enjoy doing. So make the tasks you don’t enjoy doing a little easier by breaking them up into smaller pieces or rewarding yourself for working on them. For example, when your research paper is due in a month, do the research now but hold off on immediately writing the paper. Or, tell yourself after you write five pages you can go online for 20 minutes. As you continue to practice these techniques, you’ll find that the tasks that seemed overwhelming become manageable, and your procrastination will decrease.
Get Some Rest
One of the first things to go when you’re at school is good sleep. There’s just so much to do, see, and learn. Good sleep is critical to being able to function at your best. Without it, your brain can seem foggy and you’ll likely feel sluggish and tired. This certainly won’t help you master time management — in fact, it could have the reverse effect as you won’t have the energy or drive needed to be productive.
Ask for Help
Often students are afraid to ask for help and will spend hours trying to figure out how to fix a problem, learn a new concept, or understand an assignment. This is not good time management. Instead, ask a friend, a professor, or a study group for help. Not only will you better understand the material, you’ll likely understand it sooner than you would if you tried to puzzle through it yourself. That time savings will allow you to quickly move on to the next item on your to-do list.
Time management isn’t a new concept, but it is a challenging one. Everyone’s idea of what time management is can be different, so be sure you determine what works best for you. You may need to block out eight hours of sleep, while your roommate only needs six. You may like to use a handwritten planner instead of one on your phone. Figuring out what time management tools work for you is half the battle — the other half is implementing them. Remember, mastering time management is a process. Do your best to apply some of these tips and you’ll eventually find that you feel more in control of your time, and ready to take on the day.
On Topic
Camryn Redmond, Navajo Nation, is a sophomore at UCLA studying economics and American Indian Studies. She takes pride in her participation in UCLA’s AISES and American Indian Student Association chapters, in which she serves as treasurer for both groups. Upon graduation, Redmond hopes to continue serving her community as a tribal lawyer.
One of the things I looked forward to having as a college student was the freedom to choose what I do with my time. As a freshman, I rejoiced knowing I wouldn't have a counselor telling me what classes to take and when to take them, nor would my parents be giving me a curfew on school nights. This freedom was amazing for the first couple weeks of school. However, as classes, clubs, work, and my social life started piling up, it became very hard to juggle all the things I needed to do throughout the day. In other words, I needed to find a better way to organize my time in order to succeed academically, in my extracurriculars, and socially.
Ultimately, I found planners and online calendars worked best for me to manage my time. Not only do these tools increase the odds of my remembering all my commitments, but they also provide a centralized space to organize tasks according to level of importance and urgency. For instance, if I were to write down two homework assignments in my planner, later that day I’d start with the one due first and then tackle the other.
It’s important to have an open mind when working to develop time management skills —and understand that it takes practice. In my first attempts at becoming better at managing my time, I found that not all methods worked for me. I came to this realization while trying out study groups. In theory, study groups are a great way to set time aside for homework and work among peers. However, as a social butterfly, I found that whenever I was in a group setting, I got easily distracted talking to others and did not get much work done. While it can be frustrating to have unsuccessful attempts in bettering time management, situations such as these are great opportunities to reevaluate what might be a better fit. For me, steering away from study groups led me to find more success in studying solo, especially in secluded places on my campus where distractions were minimal. There are so many time management methods out there; I encourage students to test them out and use what works best for them.
