Within the first few days of starting college,
many students quickly learn that managing their time is one of the most
challenging -- and difficult -- aspects of being in school. With so
much to do and keep track of, strong time management skills can make all
the difference.
1. Get and use a calendar. It can be a paper calendar.
It can be your cell phone. It can be a PDA. No matter what kind it is,
though, make sure you have one.
2. Write down everything. Write
down everything in one place. (Having multiple calendars just gives you
more to do amidst an already tight schedule.) Schedule when you plan to
sleep, when you are going to do your laundry, when you're going to call your parents. The crazier your schedule gets, the more important this becomes.
3. Schedule time to relax. Don't forget to schedule in time to relax and breathe. Just because your calendar goes from 7:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. doesn't mean you can.
4. Keep trying new systems. If your cell phone calendar
isn't big enough, buy a paper one. If your paper one keeps getting torn,
try a PDA. If you have too many things written down each day, try
color-coding to help simplify. Very few college students make it through
their programs without some kind of calendaring system; keep trying
until you find one that works for you.
5. Allow for flexibility. Things inevitably come up that you weren't expecting. You may not have known that your roommate's birthday
is this week, and you certainly don't want to miss the celebrations!
Leave room in your calendar so that you can move things around a little
when needed.
6. Plan ahead. Do you have a large research paper due the
last week of the semester? Work backward in your calendar and figure out
how much time you need to write it, how much time you'll need to
research it, and how much time you'll need to pick your topic. If you
think you'll need six weeks for the entire project, work backward from
the due date and schedule the time into your calendar before it's too
late.
7. Plan for the unexpected. Sure, you just might be able to
pull off two papers and a presentation during midterms week. But what
happens if you catch the flu the night you're supposed to be pulling the
all-nighter? Expect the unexpected so you don't have to spend more
unplanned time trying to fix your mistakes.
8. Schedule rewards in. Your midterms
week is a nightmare, but it will all be over Friday by 2:30. Schedule a
fun afternoon and a nice dinner out with some friends; your brain will
need it, and you can relax knowing that you're not supposed to be doing anything else.
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